Posted on March 31, 2004 at 3:45 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Children’s book author and illustrator Jerry Pinkney has been selected to receive the 2004 Young Authors’ Roberta Long Medal for distinguished contributions to literature celebrating the cultural diversity of children. The award will be presented to Pinkney during a ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, April 23, in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Community Room, 520 16th Street North.

Pinkney is a renowned author and illustrator of children’s books that celebrate life through characters of many cultures. Pinkney has been illustrating books since 1964 and has the rare distinction of receiving three Caldecott Honor Medals. He is the only illustrator to have won the Coretta Scott King Award three times. In addition to his work on children’s books, he is also a successful illustrator who has had 11 one-man retrospectives at venues ranging from the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists to the Massachusetts College of Art. Pinkney also has illustrated for a wide variety of clients.

The award is presented annually in conjunction with the Young Authors’ Conference, which is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 24, on the UAB campus. The Roberta Long Medal is named after the retired UAB professor of education for her passion for multicultural children’s books, and for her efforts to encourage teachers to use diverse literature in their classrooms. The award is made possible by the UAB School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Alabama Young Authors’ Committee.