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2024 EJK Award Winners

EJK Award Ceremony

EJK Award Panel Discussion

Press Release: 2024 Winner and Honors Announced

2024 EJK Award Committee

Writer Winner

Anne Wynter

“Thank you to the committee for consistently celebrating diversity and recognizing how vital it is for children to see themselves in – not just a single book – but in many books! I’m so grateful to be a part of Ezra Jack Keats’ extraordinary and enduring legacy.”

 

 

Nell Plants a Tree

Illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Balzer & Bray, an imprint HarperCollins

A perfect bedtime story that demonstrates how poetry can make big thoughts simple and easy to grasp. Nell plants, waters, tends to and protects her tree. In so doing she cultivates the natural world just as her family, with the same nurturing, grows and flourishes from one generation to the next. The analogy is depicted with overwhelming warmth in text and image.

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Illustrator Winner

Sarah Gonzales

“The EJK Award illuminates human uniqueness and togetherness, the traits of  Keats’ work that inspire me.  In my  resilient  immigrant family, we were strong, as individuals and as a group. With Cristina’s beautiful words I hoped to represent the strength of sharing as a community, and the happiness of baking bread.”

 

The Only Way to Make Bread

Written Cristina Quintero

Tundra, an imprint of Penguin Random House, Canada

With almost huggable images that inspire the aroma of fresh baked bread, this book is a journey through recipes that circle the globe. Each page overflows with families working together to create a world wide feast of fresh baked breads.Text and image glide seamlessly step by step demonstrating clearly that your way is the absolute right way of making bread.

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2024 Award Honors

Writer

Helena Ku Rhee for Sora’s Seashells (illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim, Stella Lim, published by Candlewick)

This lyrical story, told through the eyes of a child, shows the strength needed to share, endure loss, stand up to teasing and take pride in being different. The beautiful images work with the text and propel us through the joy and sadness perfectly, ending on a high note.

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Writer

Kim Rogers for Just Like Grandma  (illustrated by Julie Flett, published by Heartdrum an imprint of HarperCollins)

Centered on a Native American family, the flowing text describes how all grown ups and children can sustain each other. Becca and Grandma demonstrate the joy of learning, while Grandpa nurtures with wonderful food. With vivid and warm images this joyous family circle is irresistible.

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Illustrator

Fran Alvarez for Dancing Hands (written by Joanna Que and Charina Marquez, published by Chronicle Books)

The illustrations and text, filled with dancing light, tell a story in which two young girls build their friendship through the teaching and learning of Filipino Sign Language. Without shame or barrier, the girls explore the world, their hands flitting about, transmitting their joy in play.

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Illustrator

Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez for Benito Juárez Fights For Justice (written by Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez, published by Godwin, Henry Holt, Macmillan)

Illustrations rich with color tell the story of Benito Juarez. He describes, directly to the reader, how he worked, from a poor childhood to become the President of Mexico. The story of his struggle to improve the lives of the people of his country is thrilling to hear.

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2024 EJK Award Finalists

Finalist Writers

Sandhya Parappukkaran, The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name (Abrams/Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Jack Wong, When You Can Swim (Orchard Books/Scholastic)

Finalist Illustrators

Adriana M. Garcia, Remembering (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

Juan Camilo Mayorga, Lucky Me (Orca Books)

Copyright ©2025 · Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
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Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
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Brooklyn, NY 11215-5702

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