Just Jerry

- Blurb -

An inspiring memoir of a Caldecott-winning artist and one of the most acclaimed children' s book illustrators of all time, sharing the story ofa young artist who finds the courage to follow his passion against all odds. "A moving work from a legend of children' s literature and a testament to his legacy of visual storytelling. " --Kirkus Reviews Jerry Pinkney drew everywhere, all the time. It was how he made sense of the world--how he coped with the stress of being a sensitive child growing up in crowded spaces, struggling with a learning disability, in a time when the segregation of Black Americans was the norm. Only drawing could offer him a sense of calm, control, and confidence. When friends and siblings teased him about having the nickname "Jerry" as his only name, his mother always said, "Just ' Jerry' is enough. He' ll make something of that name someday. " And so he did, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated children' s book illustrators of all time and paving the way for countless other Black artists. Jerry' s vivid recollections and lively sketchbook drawings of his youth in postwar America tell an inspiring story of how a hardworking boy pursued his passion in less-than-ideal circumstances and became a legendary artist against all odds.