NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children

This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in the children's literature category.

Winners and finalists

1990s

Award winners and finalists, 1996, 1999
Year Book Author Illustrator Result Ref.
1996 Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales and True Tales Virginia Hamilton Leo and Diane Dillon Winner [1]
1999 Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told by a Freeman of Color Patricia McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack Jr. James E. Ransome Winner [2][better source needed]

2000s

Award winners and finalists, 2000-2009[3]
Year Book Author Illustrator Result Ref.
2000 If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks Faith Ringgold Winner
God Inside of Me Della Reese Vyonne Buchanan Finalist
Happy to Be Nappy bell hooks Christopher Raschka
The Day I Was Rich Bill Cosby Varnette P. Honeywood
Through My Eyes Ruby Bridges
2001 Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children Sandra Pinkney Myles C. Pinkney (photos) Winner
Dancing in the Wings Debbie Allen Kadir Nelson Finalist
Nikki Giovanni: Poet of the People Judith Pinkerton Josephson
Teens Can Make It Happen Stedman Graham
The Sound That Jazz Makes Carole Boston Weatherford Eric Velásquez
2002 Just the Two of Us Will Smith Kadir Nelson Winner [4][better source needed]
2003 Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales Nelson Mandela Winner [5][better source needed]
2004 My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Christine King Farris Chris K. Soentpiet Winner
The Montgomery Bus Boycott (Events that Shaped America) Sabrina Crewe and Frank Walsh Finalist
God Created Mark Bozzuti-Jones Jui Ishida
Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy: A Civil War Story Romare Bearden
Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? Toni and Slade Morrison Pascal Lemaître
2005 The 1963 Civil Rights March Sabrina Crewe Winner
African Princess: The Amazing Lives of Africa's Royal Women Joyce Hanson Laurie McGaw Finalist
Ellington Was Not a Street Ntozake Shange Kadir Nelson
Langston's Train Ride Robert Burleigh Leonard Jenkins
Maya's World: Angelina of Italy Maya Angelou Lizzy Rockwell
2006 Girls Hold Up This World Jada Pinkett Smith Donyell Kennedy-Mccullough (photos) Winner
I Can Make a Difference Marian Wright Edelman Barry Moser Finalist
The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement Doreen Rappaport Curtis James
Honey Baby Sugar Child Alice Faye Duncan Susan Keeter
Please, Puppy, Please Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee Kadir Nelson
2007 Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom Carole Boston Weatherford Kadir Nelson Winner [6]
Dear Mr. Rosenwald Carole Boston Weatherford R. Gregory Christie Finalist [6][7]
I Like You But I Love Me Common Lorraine West
Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round Doreen Rappaport Shane W. Evans
Whoopi's Big Book of Manners Whoopi Goldberg Olo
2008 Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson Sue Stauffacher Greg Couch Winner [8]
Friendship for Today Patricia McKissack Finalist [9]
Elijah of Buxton Christopher Paul Curtis
Let It Shine Ashley Bryan
Young Pele Lesa Cline-Ransome James E. Ransome
2009 Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope Nikki Grimes Bryan Collier Winner
Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem Maya Angelou Finalist [10]
Say a Little Prayer Dionne Warwick, David Freeman Wooley, and Tonya Bolden
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball Kadir Nelson
You Can Do It! Tony Dungy Amy June Bates

2010s

Award winners and finalists, 2010-2019[3]
Year Book Author Illustrator Result Ref.
2010 Our Children Can Soar Michelle Cook Winner [11]
The Negro Speaks of Rivers Langston Hughes E. B. Lewis Finalist [12]
Peeny Butter Fudge Toni and Slade Morrison Joe Cepeda
Sugar Plum Ballerinas: Toeshoe Trouble Whoopi Goldberg Maryn Roos
Child of the Civil Rights Movement Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colon
2011 My Brother Charlie Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete Shane Evans Winner [13]
Grandma’s Gift Eric Velásquez Eric Velásquez Finalist
Mama Miti: Wangai Maathai and the Tree of Kenya Donna Jo Napoli Kadir Nelson
Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Delores Huerta and Cesar Chavez Monica Brown Joe Cepeda
The Great Migration: Journey to the North Eloise Greenfield Jan Spivey Gilchrist
2012 You Can Be a Friend Tony and Lauren Dungy Winner [14]
Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band Kwame Alexander Tim Bowers Finalist [14]
Before There Was Mozart Lesa Cline-Ransome James E. Ransome
Heart and Soul Kadir Nelson
White Water Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein Shadra Strickland
2013 What Color is My World Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with Raymond Obstfeld A. G. Ford and

Ben Boos

Winner [15]
Fifty Cents and a Dream Jabari Asim Bryan Collier Finalist [15]
Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills Renée Watson Christian Robinson
In the Land of Milk and Honey Joyce Carol Thomas Floyd Cooper
Indigo Blume and the Garden City Kwame Alexander JahSun Mitchell
2014 Nelson Mandela Kadir Nelson Winner [16]
I'm A Pretty Little Black Girl! Betty K. Bynum Claire Armstrong Parod Finalist [16]
Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me Daniel Beaty Bryan Collier
Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Song Andrea Davis Pinkney Brian Pinkney
You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! Jonah Winter Terry Widener
2015 Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After Rachel Renée Russell Winner [17]
Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer Tonya Bolden Eric Velásquez Finalist [17]
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone Katheryn Russell-Brown Frank Morrison
Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up To Become Malcolm X Ilyasah Shabazz A. G. Ford
Searching for Sarah Rector Tonya Bolden
2016 Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America Carole Boston Weatherford Jamey Christoph Winner [18][19]
Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony, Inspired by Historical Facts Nikki Grimes Michele Wood Finalist [18]
Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein James E. Ransome
If You Plant a Seed Kadir Nelson
New Shoes Susan Lynn Meyer Eric Velásquez
2017 Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas Gwendolyn Hooks Colin Bootman Winner [20]
A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day Andrea Davis Pinkney Steve Johnson

and Lou Fancher

Finalist [20]
Daddy’s Little Girl Karissa Culbreath
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat Javaka Steptoe
The Golden Girls of Rio Nikkolas Smith Nikkolas Smith
2018 Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History Vashti Harrison Winner [21]
Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with Raymond Obstfeld Finalist [21]
Before She Was Harriet Lesa Cline-Ransome James E. Ransome
Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! Andrea J. Loney Keith Mallett
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, A Young Civil Rights Activist Cynthia Levinson Vanessa Brantley-Newton
2019 Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race Margot Lee Shetterly Laura Freeman Winner [22]
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental American Man Tonya Bolden Finalist [22]
I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can't Diane Dillon
The 5 O'Clock Band Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews Bryan Collier
The Word Collector Peter H. Reynolds

2020s

Award winners and finalists, 2020-present[3]
Year Book Author Illustrator Result Ref.
2020 Sulwe Lupita Nyong'o Vashti Harrison Winner [23]
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation Barry Wittenstein Jerry Pinkney Finalist [23]
Hair Love Matthew A. Cherry Vashti Harrison
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment Parker Curry and Jessica Curry Brittany Jackson
Ruby Finds a Worry Tom Percival
2021 She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm Katheryn Russell-Brown Eric Velásquez Winner [24][25]
I Promise LeBron James Nina Mata Finalist [24][26]
Just Like a Mama Alice Faye Duncan Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice Nikki Grimes Laura Freeman
The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver Gene Barretta Frank Morrison
2022 Stacey’s Extraordinary Words Stacey Abrams Kitt Thomas Winner [27][28][29]
Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy Misty Copeland Salena Barnes Finalist [30]
Change Sings Amanda Gorman Loren Long
Time for Bed, Old House Janet Costa Bates A. G. Ford
When Langston Dances Kaija Langley Keith Mallett
2023 Stacey’s Remarkable Books Stacey Abrams Kitt Thomas Winner [31][32]
Black Gold Laura Obuobi London Ladd Finalist [33]
Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas Jeanne Walker Harvey Loveis Wise
The Year We Learned to Fly Jacqueline Woodson Rafael López
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond Daniel Minter
2024 Crowned: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora Kahran and Regis Bethencourt Rafael López Winner [34]
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee Carole Boston Weatherford Frank Morrison Finalist [35]
I Absolutely, Positively Love My Spots Lid’ya C. Rivera Nina Mata
Is This Love? Cedella Marley Alea Marley
Like Lava In My Veins Derrick Barnes Shawn Martinbrough

Multiple wins and nominations

References

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  4. ^ "2002 Image Award Winners". Infoplease. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
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