Winner

My Daddy Is a Cowboy
by Stephanie Seales; illus. by C. G. Esperanza
Primary    Abrams    48 pp.
6/24    9781419760815    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781647006280    $17.09

A Panamanian American girl and her daddy get up before dawn to ride horses through their town in this atmospheric picture book that celebrates a close bond between a father and daughter as well as contemporary Black cowboys. After Abuelita hands the girl a bag of apple slices for the horses, the duo takes off on Daddy’s motorcycle. They leave amidst “a new kind of quiet” while the stores are “dark and empty,” and upon arrival at the ranch, the girl’s joy as she greets her pony radiates off the page. She is excited to ride through the streets; usually, her rides are confined to the ranch. While riding, she feels “high as the clouds” and “strong as a horse’s back.” Esperanza’s vibrant, detailed oil-paint illustrations feature boldly colored backgrounds that infuse even the pre-sunrise scenes with energy. The sky goes from “midnight black” to “deep ocean blue” and “swirly sherbet colors” as the pair enjoys “just us” time together. The girl’s face is particularly expressive and full of light. Seales showcases the respect the two have for horses and their love for each other. The family’s Central American roots are highlighted in Abuelita’s Panamanian-flag coffee cup, in her traditional dress, and in the girl’s use of Spanish and ­English. Back home, the child triumphantly declares, “My Daddy is a cowboy…and so am I.” MARVA ANNE HINTON

From the January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Honor Books

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava
by Gary Golio; illus. by E. B. Lewis
Primary    Calkins/Astra    48 pp.
1/24    9781662680557    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781662680564    $11.99

“SNAP!” The camera clicks on a young boy creating chalk art. “SNAP!” The camera finds a crumpled soda can on the street. Photographer DeCarava (1919–2009) depicts the people, places, and spirit of Harlem. A spare, poetic text emphasizes his love for the neighborhood where he grew up, which was the subject of his long, prolific career. In addition to his photography and other artwork, DeCarava also taught for more than three decades. Lewis’s realistic illustrations take on a painterly tone with soft, muted colors and effective play between light and shadow. The watercolors create a fluid, dreamy world where DeCarava could quietly snap away while walking the streets of Harlem on a warm, sunny afternoon. The pictures portray a neighborhood in motion, not directly aware of the artist who spent a lifetime reflecting the vibrancy of a place and people. Back matter gives biographical information and a timeline of the artist’s life, providing a more complete picture of one of the most influential Black photographers of our time. MONIQUE HARRIS

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
by Coretta Scott King with Barbara Reynolds; illus. by Ekua Holmes
Primary, Intermediate    Godwin/Holt    40 pp.
1/24    9781250167101    $18.99

Adapted from King’s autobiography, this picture book offers a new generation the remarkable story of the activist, artist, wife, and mother whose grace in the face of unspeakable loss continued the momentum of a movement. Beginning with glimpses into her childhood in segregated Alabama, King (1927–2006) describes being the second Black student admitted to Antioch College (her older sister Edythe was the first) and her fight to teach in Ohio—readers see that her pursuit of equality started long before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr. The first-person retelling of events such as the March on Washington is compellingly personal. Holmes’s vibrant illustrations (in acrylic with elements of collage incorporating print and photos) saturate the pages with color. The illustrations also take great care in communicating the very human emotions that King and her family experienced in scenes including her surrounded by her young children at the piano; a phone receiver hanging from its cord at the news of MLK’s death; and her speaking to a crowd despite her grief just hours after arriving in Memphis. Art and text bring this civil rights icon to life, reminding readers of a dream yet to be fully realized. Back matter includes a timeline of her life and major events. MONIQUE HARRIS

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller
by Breanna J. McDaniel; illus. by April Harrison
Primary    Dial    40 pp.
1/24    9780593324202    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593324219    $11.99

Few people have had more of an impact on African American children’s literature than griot, educator, and librarian Augusta Baker (1911–1998). Her path to becoming a master storyteller began in Baltimore with listening to her grandmother’s folktales. A class on folklore in college further inspired her, and she became a children’s librarian in Harlem. It became apparent that while most of the children in the library were Black, most books available to them had no Black characters, and the ones that did “were RUDE, MEAN, and JUST PLAIN WRONG.” Baker created a book collection that showcased realistic and positive depictions of African Americans and shared her knowledge with other educators and librarians. Her work carried her to becoming the first Black coordinator of children’s services for all of New York Public Library, hosting radio shows, teaching classes, and traveling the country as the “Mistress of Storytelling.” McDaniel gives an account of Baker’s life that is as celebratory as the heroes in her folktales, attesting that Baker internalized the message that “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Harrison’s exuberant mixed-media-collage illustrations capture the vibrancy of both the storyteller and her stories, creating worlds and words that leap off pages. Back matter includes a timeline, citations, and an author’s note, where McDaniel celebrates her own childhood librarian. EBONI NJOKU

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Read reviews of the 2025 CSK Author Awards here. For more, click on the tag ALA LibLearnX 2025.