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Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival

Ezra Jack Keats Award

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The Ezra Jack Keats Award for Writer was established in 1985 to recognize and encourage authors starting out in the field of children's books. The Ezra Jack Keats Award for llustrator was added in 2001, and for Honor Books, in 2012. Many past winners of the EJK Award have gone on to distinguished careers creating books beloved by parents, children, librarians and teachers across the country.

The Ezra Jack Keats Award is given annually to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator of picture books for children (age 9 and under) and is presented by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. A distinguished selection committee of early childhood education specialists, librarians, illustrators and experts in children’s literature reviews the entries, seeking books that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world. Since 2012, the EJK Award has been co-presented by the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection during the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. The New York Public Library served as co-presenter from 1986 to 2011.


To be eligible, writers and illustrators must have previously published no more than three books. The EJK Award and a prize of $3,000 are given to each of the winners.

For more information on this award and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, visit the website of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.

 

Past Ezra Jack Keats Recipients 

  Writer       Ezra Jack Keats Medallion
1986 Valerie Flournoy
1987 Juanita Havill
1989 Yoriko Tsutsui
1991 Angela Johnson
1993 Faith Ringgold
1995 Cari Best
1997 Juan Felipe Herrera
1999 Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
2000 Soyung Pak   Illustrator
2001 D.B. Johnson 2001 Bryan Collier
2002 Deborah Wiles 2002 Jerome Lagarrigue
2003 Shirin Yim Bridges 2003 Sophie Blackall
2004 Jeron Ashford Frame 2004 Gabi Swiatkowska
2005 Janice N. Harrington 2005 Ana Juan
2006 Mary Ann Rodman 2006 Yunmee Kyong
2007 Kelly Cunnane 2007 Kristen Balouch
2008 David Ezra Stein 2008 Jonathan Bean
2009 Stian Hole 2009 Shadra Strickland
2010 Tonya Cherie Hegamin 2010 Taeeun Yoo
2011 Laurel Croza 2011 Tao Nyeu
2012 Meg Medina 2012 Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
2013 Julie Fogliano 2013 Hyewon Yum
2014 Ame Dyckman 2014 Christian Robinson
2015 Chieri Uegaki 2015 Chris Haughton
2016 Don Tate 2016 Phoebe Wall
2017 Jeri Watts 2017 Micha Archer

Contact Us

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival

Southern Miss SLIS
118 College Dr. #5146
Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Hattiesburg Campus

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Email
stacy.creelFREEMississippi

Phone
601.266.4228