Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life

Gr 3-7–The artistry of the late Jerry Pinkney has captured readers for decades. Now his memoir takes us into his life and the influences that set him on the path to Caldecott and Coretta Scott King awards. The letters of his name on the book’s cover serve as windows into some of his well-known illustrations, such as The Lion and the Mouse and The Grasshopper and the Ants. Those glimpses, along with a drawing of young Pinkney and his sketchbooks, show readers the beginning and end of the journey that his memoir will describe. The narrative is divided into three sections that explore his family and home life, neighborhood and friends, and then his introduction to art as a possible career path. Pinkney had planned to add many detailed drawings. Although that was not possible, the sketches that are included give a sense of intimacy, as if readers are looking over his shoulder while he works. Due to his own childhood experience with dyslexia, the font used is designed to be reader-friendly to make the book more accessible. The epilogue includes photos of him, his siblings and parents, his wife and children, and cover images from some of the books he illustrated. A time line covers key dates from his life and career.