By Ally Hauptman on behalf of CLA's Ways and Means Committee As the NCTE Conference approaches, we want to give you every detail about the CLA Art Auction, so you are ready to bid and acquire an amazing piece of art! Every year we work with publishers and illustrators to collect original pieces of artwork from children’s books or rare prints for purchase through the auction. The auction is important because CLA uses the funds raised to support the major goals of the organization:
This auction spans starts Friday, November 22 at 10 AM EST and concludes on Sunday, November 24 at 8:45 AM EST at the end of the 2024 CLA Breakfast. These beautiful pieces will be on display at the CLA Booth (Booth #235) and then at the CLA Breakfast on Sunday morning. 2024 CLA Art Auction Preview
Visit our Art Auction page for a better view of the stunning pieces of artwork that could be yours and to read their individual descriptions!
Each year, the CLA Auction is made possible thanks to the generous support of publishers, book creators, and other children's literature people who donate art for the auction.
Thank You!
* Listed alphabetically. Ally Hauptman is Assistant Dean for Teacher Education and the lead faculty for Instructional Practice at Lipscomb University. She is a member of CLA's Ways and Means committee and serves of the award committee for CLA's Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts. CLA at NCTE 2024
by Jeanne Gilliam Fain & Susan Polos (2024 CLA Breakfast Co-Chairs) We invite you to join us for our annual Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast at the 2024 NCTE Convention, featuring the award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome and the award-winning illustrator James Ransome. Our breakfast is on Sunday, November 24th, starting at 7 am (ET) and takes place in Convention Center, Level 2 in Room 210A. The CLA breakfast is an event that you will not want to miss. We will present awards, have an art auction and book raffle, and then Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome will speak and sign books afterwards! You need a ticket to attend the CLA breakfast. If you have already registered for the NCTE Conference but would like to purchase a ticket, the easiest way to do this is to call NCTE directly at (877) 369-6283. Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome are significant and prolific figures in the world of children’s literature. Lesa has written over 25 picture books, five middle grade or YA novels, biographies, a collective biography, and she has contributed to several anthologies. James Ransome has illustrated over 70 picture books, often, but not always, partnering with Lesa. James Ransome was named the winner of the 2023 Children’s Literature Legacy Award; he has previously won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and the Illustrator Honors Award. Lesa has won Coretta Scott King Author Honor Awards, the Scott O’Dell Award, and other honors. Lesa and James value the stories that we need to know from history. They both often ask the questions, “Have you heard this?” or “Did you know this?” and these questions often lead them to write about, as Lesa states, “the humanity of people whose stories have never been told.” They will enlighten and inspire you with the powerful stories behind their work. If you regularly attend the CLA Breakfasts at NCTE, you know what a wonderful experience they are! But if you haven’t, we welcome you to join us! It’s a positive opportunity to meet other people who are passionate about children’s literature, hear about an amazing author and an illustrator, purchase raffle tickets for wonderful books, and, if you are so inclined, bid on art from children’s illustrators! We hope to see you there! Jeanne Gilliam Fain is a professor in the College of Education at Lipscomb University and she is the Director of MLL/ELL program. Her scholarship agenda includes a focus on Literacy, Literature, and Language Study in K-12 classrooms. She served as chair of the Notable in Children’s Language Arts Award and she currently serves as current chair of the Notable Books for a Global Society. She is 2024 co-chair of the CLA Breakfast Committee. Susan Polos is the middle school librarian at Greenwich Country Day School (Greenwich, CT). She has served on the Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Pura Belpré book award juries. Currently, she serves Assistant Chair of the Outstanding International Books Committee for the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), is a co-chair of the Breakfast Committee for the Children's Literature Assembly, and is a member of the Archives and History Committee of the Coretta Scott King Book Award Community.
By Peggy Rice representing the Ways and Means Committee
Jon Klassen
This talented Canadian animator, author and illustrator of children’s books, has illustrated several children’s books, most notably, his first children’s book that is both written and Illustrated by him. I Want my Hat Back (2011) is the winner of The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, The Caldecott Award, and the Kate Greenaway Medal. Art for Auction: Jon has contributed a 5.5 x 7.5 in. monochromatic illustration from his latest publication, The Skull (2023) a retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. The eerie illustration includes the two main characters, the skull who lives in a big, abandoned house and a brave girl named, Otilla, who visits the house. Raissa Figueroa
This talented children’s book illustrator and graphic designer is based in San Diego California. She won the 2022 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for her contributions to We Wait for the Sun. Art for Auction: Raissa has contributed an 8 x 10 inch expressionistic, watercolor illustration from Small-Girl Toni and the Quest for Gold (2023). Written by Giselle Anatol and illustrated by Raissa, this original tale was inspired by the life and works of Toni Morrison. Toni, as a young child, is featured in the illustration. Kaz Windness
This talented author and illustrator of picture books loves to make her readers laugh. Many of her books are animal fantasy with characters overcoming an internal conflict, such as finding the courage to face a fear. Art for Auction: Kaz has contributed an 8 x 10 inch, matted, watercolor illustration from her most recent book that she wrote and illustrated, Bitsy Bat, School Star (2023). The illustration depicts Bitsy, a little bat with big star dreams, struggling to fit in at her new school. Nikkolas Smith
This talented author and illustrator of children’s books, whose work is influenced by Nina Simone and Norman Rockwell, describes himself as an “artivist.” He illustrated the picture book, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water (2021) which was ranked number one on the New York Times Best Seller List Children’s Book category. Art for Auction: Nikkolas has contributed a 9.5 x 11 inch illustration from Black Panther Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream (2022). Loose brushwork and mural-style images add energy that show Assata’s light, as she develops the courage to dream despite her disability. Jade Orlando
This talented illustrator is a former children’s apparel artist. She has contributed colorful illustrations to several books for babies, such as Ally Baby Can be an Eco-Activist, Ally Baby Can be AntiRacist and Ally Baby Can be A Feminist. Art for Auction: Jade has contributed a 14 x 14 inch, expressionistic illustration from I’m Going to Be a Princess (2023) written by Stephanie Taylor. The colorful illustration features, Maya, who is captivated by the achievements of a brave Nigerian princess. Frane Lessac
A noted author and illustrator of more than fifty books, Frane is an American living in Australia. She is inspired by her travels. Several of her books are informational books, such as Australian Baby Animals (2019) and Australia Under the Sea 1, 2, 3 (2020). Notably, she illustrated Traci Sorell’s books, We Are Grateful (2018) and We Are Still Here! (2021), each honored by the American Indian Library Association. Art for Auction: Frane has contributed a 21.5 x 13.5 in. illustration from We Are Still Here (2022) written by Traci Sorell. The primitive folk art depicts a diverse group attending Indigenous People’s Day presentations at a Native Nations Community School. Cori Doerrfeld
This New York Times bestselling author and illustrator has illustrated numerous picture books for other authors, as well. Her debut picture book as an illustrator, Welcome to your World, Baby (2008) was written by Brooke Shields. Her colorful illustrations vary in style and include many animal friends. Art for Auction: Cori has contributed an 11 x 14 watercolor, from Beneath (2023), a story that she wrote and illustrated. The insightful illustration conveys the theme, “There is always more under the surface than we can see.” It depicts the trees’ roots, dirt and rocks under the ground, while Finn and their grandfather are hiking in the woods.
She has also contributed a 5x7 original ink drawing of two owls seen by Cori and his grandfather on their hike in the woods in Beneath (2023). Camilla Sucre
This talented Caribbean American artist was born in New York and grew up in Baltimore. She is passionate about illustrating children’s books. Art for Auction: Camilla has contributed a vibrant 9.5 x 15.5 illustration from Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush (Lawrence, 2023) that depicts Ava and her grandmother. The use of yellow contributes to the warmth of the intergenerational story that introduces the experiences of African Caribbeans who traveled across the Atlantic to build a life in England. Peggy S. Rice is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA. by Angela Wiseman & Ally Hauptman (2022 Co-Chairs) We invite you to join us for our annual Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast at the 2022 NCTE Convention featuring the award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft! Our breakfast is on Sunday November 20th, starting at 7am (PST) and takes place in Ballroom D at the Anaheim Convention Center. The CLA breakfast is not to be missed! As you have seen in other blog posts, we will present awards, have an art auction and book raffle, and then Jerry Craft will speak and sign books afterwards! You need a ticket to the CLA Breakfast to attend. If you have already registered for the NCTE conference, but would like to purchase a ticket to the breakfast, the easiest way to do this is to call NCTE directly at (877) 369-6283. We would like to present some background on the esteemed, award-winning author-illustrator, Jerry Craft. As Publishers Weekly described in a book review about New Kid, Jerry Craft masterfully creates realistic stories that feature real life characters, “deftly weaving discussions of race, socioeconomics, colorism, and solidarity into an accessible narrative.” We were first introduced to his work when we read New Kid, which was published in 2019. New Kid is part of a trilogy; Class Act is the second book and the third will be released in the near future. This fantastic book about Jordan Banks describes his experiences dealing with life as an adolescent while attending a private school where he doesn’t always fit in. He’s one of the only students of Color at this school and experiences prejudice and racism as he realizes how both race and socioeconomic factors impact the way people treat each other. Jerry Craft is motivated to show realistic portrayals of children in his books, but he also really wants children, particularly children of Color, to see themselves in his stories.
If you regularly attend the CLA Breakfasts at NCTE, you know what a wonderful experience they are! But if you haven’t, we welcome you to join us! It’s a great opportunity to meet other people who are passionate about children’s literature, hear an amazing author-illustrator, purchase raffle tickets for wonderful books, and possibly bid on art from children’s illustrators! We hope to see you there! Angela Wiseman and Ally Hauptman Ally Hauptman is a CLA Board Member and co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Angela Wiseman is a CLA Board Member and is co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor of literacy education at North Carolina State University. by Peggy Rice and Ally Hauptman representing the Ways and Means Committee
We are excited to share with you some of the artwork we have received and will be available for purchase through the auction this year. There are more pieces coming, so there will be a second blog coming soon! Without further ado, we invite you to view these beautiful contributions by Kevin Henkes, Grant Snider, Juliet Menéndez, Ellen Heck, Bonnie Lui, Alaina Chau, Amanda Calatzis, Brandon James Scott, Dan Yaccarino, and Elizabeth Erazo Baez. As an added bonus this year, each piece of art will be auctioned off with the book in which it appears! Elizabeth Erazo Baez
Elizabeth Erazo Baez, talented artist, illustrator, curator and art teacher, is of Puerto Rican heritage. Impacted by her experiences growing up in Puerto Rico, she uses bright Caribbean colors and creates lush, tropical views, depicting the cultural lifestyle.
Art for Auction: Elizabeth has contributed three, expressive 11 x 14 pieces, with matting, from Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico, a bilingual picture book written by Leslea Newman (2022). Each illustration includes an image of the coqui, a tree frog that is native to the island and beloved by the main character, Alicia. Amanda Calatzis
Amanda Calatzis, talented author-illustrator, incorporates light into her illustrations to convey warmth.
Alina Chau
Alina Chau, a talented animator, author-illustrator grew up in Hong Kong in an Indonesian-Chinese family. Her work is inspired by her unique Southeast Asian heritage. In 2018, a book she illustrated, The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang, received a Picture Book Honor by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
Ellen Heck
Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes, is an award-winning, prolific author-illustrator of picture books and novels. He received the 2020 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his significant and lasting contributions as an American author-illustrator, publishing books in the United States. His award-winning works include Kitten’s Full Moon, winner of the 2005 Caldecott and The Year of Billy Miller, the 2014 recipient of a Newbery Honor.
Art for Auction: This 9.5 x 4 inch illustration of pastel colored, expressive elephants is from A Parade of Elephants (2018), which is an ALA Notable Book. This delightful book for preschoolers focuses on a day-long march of five elephants and includes opportunities for counting, as well as exploration of opposites. Bonnie Lui
Bonnie Lui, is a talented illustrator of picture books for children who is also a background painter for Dreamworks and WB. In 2021, she published her first children’s book that she authored and illustrated, “ABC of Feelings.”
Juliet Menéndez
Juliet Menéndez, a talented Guatemalan American author-illustrator, is a former bilingual teacher in New York City. While teaching, she noticed a need for children’s books depicting Latinas.
Brandon James Scott
Brandon James Scott, is a critically acclaimed Canadian, creative director working in animation and an author-illustrator of children’s books. He created the award-winning animated series, Justin Time.
Grant Snider
Grant Snider, is a talented author-illustrator of children’s picture books and creator of comics that have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review.
Dan Yaccarino
Dan Yaccarino, is an acclaimed author-illustrator of children’s books and creator of animated series based on his books, such as Doug Unplugs (AppleTV) and Oswald (Nickelodeon).
Peggy Rice is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA. Ally Hauptman is an associate professor at Lipscomb University. She is the chair of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA and a serving CLA board member. To be able to participate in this year's CLA Art Auction, don't forget to prepurchase your tickets for the 2022 Children's Literature Assembly Breakfast featuring Jerry Craft. Tickets are available through the registration portal for NCTE2022.
By Peggy S. Rice and Ally Hauptman on behalf of the Ways and Means Committee
Paola Escobar, award winning illustrator of picture books such as the Pura Belpré winner, Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, is also a graphic designer. As a child, she enjoyed illustrating stories about her family and culture that were told by her Columbian grandmother. This inspired her to become a children’s book illustrator. She collaborates with publishers all over the world to celebrate cultural diversity.
Illustration for Auction: This detailed, double-page spread illustration from Queen of Tejano Music: Selena by Silvia Lopez (2020) depicts the cultural diversity of Lake Jackson, Texas, the Southwest town the Quintellas moved to when Selena was a young child in the 1970s. This picture book biography includes a thorough narrative of the singer’s life for children. Paola’s detailed, double-page expressionistic illustrations provide the reader with insights into the family’s immersion in music and their hard work ethic. Deborah Freedman, noted author-illustrator, creates connections to nature through the creation of lovable personified characters.
Illustration for Auction: This heartwarming matted illustration from Carl and the Meaning of Life depicts the field mouse asking Carl the question that sets him on his adventure, meeting creatures of the forest and discovering that everyone can make a difference by being themselves with even the smallest creature. Freedman presents a worm’s eye view of the web of life through the perspective of lovable Carl, providing children an opportunity to understand the wonder and interconnectedness of nature and develop a love for worms or overcome a fear of worms. Aaliya Jaleel, a Sri-Lankan American illustrator who illustrates fiction and nonfiction texts that depict perspectives of Muslims, uses bright pastel colors and flowers to create hope and inspiration.
Illustration for Auction: This vibrant, matted and framed illustration from Muslim Girls Rise (Mir, 2019) depicts one of the nineteen Muslim women leaders of the 21st century featured in this collection of brief, information-rich biographies. Jaleel’s vibrant illustrations add inspiration and create hope, encouraging readers to “find their passion” while providing Muslim women role models. Tim Miller, imaginative author-illustrator of hilarious animal fantasy, written by himself and other authors, uses a cartoon style to capture readers’ attention.
Illustration for Auction: This illustration from Tiny Kitty, Big City depicts a tiny, brave, playful kitty on her adventure through the big city that ends with her finding her forever home. An advocate for animal rescue, the story was inspired by the author-illustrator’s experience rescuing a litter of kittens in New York City and finding them homes. Pete Oswald, talented author-illustrator of fiction, is also an award-winning production designer of animated films such as The Angry Birds Movie. Many of the books he has illustrated are modern fantasy with delightful personified characters, such as a cookie, providing young readers with opportunities to laugh as they develop understandings of important themes (truth in fantasy).
Illustration for Auction: Although Pete created this original specifically for the CLA auction, this delightful frog could be discovered by the characters in his wordless book, Hike (2020). This adventure of a father and child experiencing the beauty of the natural world includes detail-rich panels and textured panoramas that create opportunities for readers to be immersed in nature. Melissa Sweet, award-winning American author-illustrator, not only illustrates stories she writes, but also collaborates with other authors. With fiction and biographies, she captures readers’ attention through the use of watercolor, mixed media and collage.
Illustration for Auction: This mixed media illustration from A River of Words depicts the poet, William Carlos Williams, looking out his window for inspiration from nature. Williams earned his living as a physician, but writing poetry was his passion. This picture book biography is the 2009 Caldecott Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book, A Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book and an NCTE Notable Children’s Book. As you can see, there are some striking pieces of art in this year’s auction. A special thank you to all of the illustrators who so generously donated their work and to Patty Rosati at HarperCollins Children’s Books, our publisher liaison. See you at the auction! 2021 Art Auction Details
Peggy S. Rice is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA. Ally Hauptman is an associate professor at Lipscomb University. She is the chair of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA and a serving CLA board member. |
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