2019 Ezra Jack Keats Award

Writer Award 

Kitten and the Night Watchman, John Sullivan, Simon & Schuster

What does a night watchman do all night? For children whose parents work at night, and for children who wonder what goes on at night when they’re asleep, this is a perfect book. The story gently weaves the work a night watchman does with the poetry of a sleeping construction site, the warmth of new kitten and the pleasure of going home at sunrise to a loving family. Other Awards: Margaret Wise Brown Prize

John Sullivan

Sullivan said, “Winning the EJK Award means a lot to me. It means my book has played a small part in bringing people together. Done well, a children’s book shows that people have the same hopes and fears, and that how we behave, not surface differences, is most important.” When asked what inspired the idea for his book, Sullivan added, “My first year as a night watchman, many years ago, I found a stray kitten on a worksite, fell in love with her, named her Beebe and we spent the next 17 years together. My book tells our story while showing children the value of compassion for animals.”

Illustrator Award

Thank you, Omu! Oge Mora, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

In the busy city who would think that Omu’s fragrant and tasty stew could bring people together as if they lived in a small town? This is a playful kind of stone soup tale, but told in reverse! The bright illustrations, reminiscent of Keatsian collage, show us that kind human connections form intimate support groups amidst any kind of bustle. Other Awards: Caldecott Honor

Oge Mora

Mora said, “I have always looked up to Ezra Jack Keats and I am incredibly honored to be a small part of his storied legacy. Keats understood that diversity isn’t an ideal, diversity is our world. For my grandmother, cooking was about bringing people together. My books are my way of honoring that love and sharing it with the world.” Like Keats, Mora illustrated her book using collage, and remarked, “I approach collage with no rules. A sky can be yellow. A map can be a pot holder. A floral pattern a savory stew. Spontaneity is what makes collages exciting to make and look over. I use collaged text throughout the book to seamlessly blend my writing, and art together.”