Photo Credit:
Troy
Johnson, AALBC.com
Kadir Nelson is an award-winning American artist whose works have been exhibited in major national and international publications, institutions, art galleries, and museums. Nelson earned a Bachelor's degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and has since created paintings for a host of distinguished clients including Sports Illustrated, The Coca-Cola Company, The United States Postal Service, Major League Baseball, and Dreamworks SKG where he worked as a visual development artist creating concept artwork for feature films, "Amistad", and "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron".
Nelson's award-winning books also include Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange, which won the Coretta Scott King Award and was an ALA Notable Children's Book; and Just the Two of Us by Will Smith, which received an NAACP Image Award. Mr. Nelson lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and two daughters.
Nelson
Mandela
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Kadir Nelson (Author, Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061783749
ISBN-13: 978-0061783746
One day when Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was
sent from his village to a school far away from home, to another part of
South Africa. In Johannesburg, the country's capital, Mandela saw fellow
Africans who were poor and powerless. He decided then that he would work to
protect them. When the government began to keep people apart based on the
color of their skin, Mandela spoke out against the law and vowed to fight
hard in order to make his country a place that belonged to all South
Africans.
Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant verse
and glorious illustrations. It is the story of a young boy's determination
to change South Africa and of the struggles of a man who eventually became
the president of his country by believing in equality for people of all
colors. Readers will be inspired by Mandela's triumph and his lifelong quest
to create a more just world.
I
Have a Dream (Book & CD)
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Martin Luther King Jr. (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade; Har/Com edition (October 9, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375858873
ISBN-13: 978-0375858871
Product Dimensions: 11 x 0.5 x 11 inches
Winner 2013 Coretta
Scott King Illustrator Honor Award
From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: “My
father’s dream continues to live on from generation to generation, and this
beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing "I Have a
Dream" speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace
to the youngest among us—those who will one day carry his dream forward for
everyone.”
On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on
Washington, Martin Luther King gave one of the most powerful and memorable
speeches in our nation's history. His words, paired with Caldecott Honor
winner Kadir Nelson's magnificent paintings, make for a picture book certain
to be treasured by children and adults alike. The themes of equality and
freedom for all are not only relevant today, 50 years later, but also
provide young readers with an important introduction to our nation's past.
Included with the book is an audio CD of the speech.
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
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Kadir Nelson (Author, Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 108 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061730742
ISBN-13: 978-0061730740
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 11.1 x 0.6 inches
2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award
and Illustrator Honor Award winning Book!
Kadir Nelson, one of this generation's most accomplished, award-winning
artists, has created an epic yet intimate introduction to the history of
America and African Americans, from colonial days through the civil rights
movement. Written in the voice of an "Everywoman," an unnamed narrator whose
forebears came to this country on slave ships and who lived to cast her vote
for the first African American president, heart and soul touches on some of
the great transformative events and small victories of that history. This
inspiring book demonstrates that in gaining their freedom and equal rights,
African Americans helped our country achieve its promise of liberty and
justice -- the true heart and soul of our nation.
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Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit
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Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (January 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416989552
Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
The black and white images throughout are personal reflections, uniquely felt and rendered by award winning artist Kadir Nelson. They are accompanied by the uplifting words of Barack Obama and commemorate the movement and the moment that have changed our history. It's a celebration of the power of inspiration. It's a celebration of how far we have come and how determined we are to look ahead. It's a celebration of pride, hope and joy personally felt and publically shared.
Most of all it's a celebration of the 44th president - a new president and a new chapter in the American story.
We
Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
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Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Jump At The Sun (January 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786808322
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 11 x 0.5 inches
2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winning Book
Seven years in the making, this is the 1st book that Kadir both wrote and illustrated.
“We are the ship; all else the sea.”—Rube Foster, founder of the Negro
National League
The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and
determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship;
of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It
is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in
the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the
Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation,
hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more
than anything else in the world: play ball.
Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of
Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline
after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so
authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening
intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of
that time and shared their experiences. But what makes this book so
outstanding are the dozens of full-page and double-page oil
paintings—breathtaking in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created
with understanding and affection for these lost heroes of our national game.
We Are the Ship is a tour de force for baseball lovers of all ages.
Moses:
When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
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Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (August 8, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786851759
Product Dimensions: 12 x 11 x 0.4 inches
This poetic book is a resounding tribute to Tubman's strength, humility, and
devotion. With proper reverence, Weatherford and Nelson do justice to the
woman who, long ago, earned over and over the name Moses.
He's
Got the Whole World in His Hands
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by Kadir Nelson
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dial (August 8, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803728506
ISBN-13: 978-0803728509
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
What began as a spiritual has developed into one of America’s best-known
songs, and now for the first time it appears as a picture book, masterfully
created by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson.Through sublime landscapes and
warm images of a boy and his family, Kadir has created a dazzling, intimate
interpretation, one that rejoices in the connectedness of people and nature.
Inspired by the song’s simple message, Kadir sought to capture the joy of
living in and engaging with the world. Most importantly, he wished to
portray the world as a child might see it—vast and beautiful.
Ellington Was Not a StreetBy Ntozake Shange, Illustration by Kadir A. Nelson
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
ISBN: 0689828845
Format: Hardcover, 40pp
Pub. Date: January 2004
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Age Range: 4 to 8
In a reflective tribute to the African-American community of old, noted poet Ntozake Shange recalls her childhood home and the close-knit group of innovators that often gathered there. These men of vision, brought to life in the majestic paintings of artist Kadir Nelson, lived at a time when the color of their skin dictated where they could live, what schools they could attend, and even where they could sit on a bus or in a movie theater.
Yet in the face of this tremendous adversity, these dedicated souls and others like them not only demonstrated the importance of Black culture in America, but also helped issue in a movement that "changed the world." Their lives and their works inspire us to this day, and serve as a guide to how we approach the challenges of tomorrow.
Please, Puppy, Please
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Spike Lee (Author), Tonya Lewis Lee (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 2 and up
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (October 18, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689868049
ISBN-13: 978-0689868047
Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.4 x 10 inches
Away from the gate,
puppy puppy, please, puppy.
Oh wait, puppy, wait,
please, please, please,
please....
In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker
Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take
a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet
their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up.
Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson
unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which
families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.
A Children's Book-of-the-Month "Club Main Selection", and A Black
Expressions Book Club, "Featured Selection"
Please,
Baby, Please
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Spike Lee (Author),
Tonya Lewis Lee (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Reading level: Baby-Preschool
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (March 21, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689834578
ISBN-13: 978-0689834578
Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 10 x 0.2 inches
Go back to bed,Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, preset a behind-the-scenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby!
baby please, baby, please.
Not on your HEAD,
baby baby baby, please!
Spike Lee is one of the most prominent and influential media figures today. His films include the critically acclaimed School Daze; Academy Award nominee Do the Right Thing; Malcolm X; Clockers; and 25th Hour. Born in Atlanta, Spike attended Morehouse College and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned his master of fine arts degree in film production. Spike and his wife are the authors of Please, Baby, Please, their first picture book with Simon & Schuster. They live in New York City with their two children.
Tonya Lewis Lee is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Virginia School of Law. As a children's television producer she has worked with Disney, Nickelodeon, and Noggin/The N, where she was the executive producer of the award-winning documentary I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and the critically acclaimed miniseries Miracle's Boys. She is also the author of Gotham Diaries, her first novel.
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Dancing
in the Wings
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by Debbie Allen and Kadir Nelson
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Dial (September 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803725019
ISBN-13: 978-0803725010
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
Sassy worries that her too-large feet, too-long legs, and even her big mouth
will keep her from her dream of becoming a star ballerina. So for now she's
just dancing in the wings, watching from behind the curtain, and hoping that
one day it will be her turn to shimmer in the spotlight. When the director
of an important dance festival comes to audition her class, Sassy's first
attempts to get his attention are, well, a little wobbly. But Sassy just
knows, somehow, that this is her time to step out from those wings, and make
her mark on the world.
Actress/choreographer Debbie Allen and Kadir Nelson collaborated on Brothers
of the Knight, about which School Library Journal raved, "the strutting
high-stepping brothers are full of individuality, attitude, and movement."
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