The annual African American Children’s Book Fair, which took place this year on February 1 at Community College of Philadelphia, is the largest non-industry event bringing together African American authors and illustrators and book lovers of all ages. Of the five books nominated for this year’s NAACP Image Awards for Youth/Teen literature, four were represented at the fair by either the author or the illustrator. There were 36 participating authors in all, from Los Angeles, Florida, South and North Carolina, Wisconsin, and New York. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the 28th edition of the fair. All photos by Andrew Huth for Read by 4th.
The book fair marked the first joint event for author-illustrator Jerry Pinkney (l.), author Gloria Jean Pinkney (r.), and their granddaughter, author Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (center).
Illustrator Daniel Minter and author Kelly Starling Lyons shared their 2019 Caldecott Honor Book Going Home with Daddy, along with some of the stamps featured in the artwork.
Young readers and their families browsing the books for sale, encouraged by the fair’s mantra, “Preserve a Legacy and Buy a Book.”
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson.
