Brian Pinkney

From a very young age, Brian Pinkney loved to draw and paint. Using old brushes and scraps of paper, he tried to replicate his father’s watercolor art. Brian painted in a large closet that his mother had converted into a child-sized art studio. His passion for drawing and painting eventually led him to the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

While earning a master’s degree in Illustration, Brian discovered scratchboard – a lesser-used medium that actually scratches designs into an inked board. His scratchboard art has since won two Caldecott Honor Medals and two Coretta Scott King Awards. Brian illustrates his own stories and those of other authors. He most often collaborates with his wife, author Andrea Davis Pinkney.

Books by This Author

Max Found Two Sticks

By: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6

Max recreates the city rhythms all around him with his two sticks. His imaginative play reaches a climax when a real marching band comes down his street and a drummer gives him a pair of drumsticks. Pinkney’s animated scratchboard illustrations further enliven the text.

Books by This Illustrator

Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy

By: Andrea Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 6-9
The most celebrated black cowboy was Bill Pickett, a fearless rodeo star with a knack for taming bulls that brought the crowds to their feet. The closing note in this book provides an overview of the history of rodeos and black cowboys.

Busy-Busy Little Chick

By: Janice Harrington
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6
Little Chick is not distracted like his mother, Mama Nsoso. He only chases tasty treats after their ilome, a warm new home of grass and mud, for his family is complete. This lively telling based on a fable told by Nkundo people of Central Africa is illustrated with swirling, animated illustrations, complementing the alliterative, onomatopoeic language.

Count to Love!

Illustration of a baby
By: Andrea Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 0-3

Count to love on fingers and toes. // 1-2-3-4, touch your nose! Snuggle up with your little one to celebrate sweet baby love! With bouncing, rhythmic text from New York Times bestselling author Andrea Davis Pinkney and warm, winsome illustrations from Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Brian Pinkney.

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa

By: Andrea Pinkney
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 6-9

From her early days in Harlem to becoming the First Lady of Jazz, the story of Ella Fitzgerald is presented by a cool feline named Scat Cat Monroe. As Scat Cat steals through the pages of this book, Ella Fitzgerald�s life and work are revealed in jazz-inspired language accompanied by dramatic scratchboard illustrations. The result is a lively and loving picture book biography.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Martin Luther King

By: Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6
En un paquete atractivo se presenta la importancia e influencia del Dr King y por qué se celebra su cumpleaños. Un texto fluido combinado con maravillosas ilustraciones hechas en esgrafiado y pintura para presentar a los niños un tema que a veces resulta difícil.

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

By: Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6

The significance and impact of Dr. King and why his birthday is celebrated is presented in a handsome package. Fluid text combines with stunning illustrations done in scratchboard and paint, to make a sometimes difficult subject accessible to younger children. Also available in Spanish.

Hip-Hop Lollipop

By: Susan Montanari
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Age Level: 3-6

Watch as Lollipop grooves her way through her bedtime routine, brushing her teeth to the beat and shimmying into pjs. She sways along with her sister, her parents, and even some enthusiastic pets until, finally, Lollie closes her eyes and dances through her dreams.

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