Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes (born November 27, 1960) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014.[4] His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.[5]

Kevin Henkes
Henkes at the Mazza Museum, 2011
Born (1960-11-27) November 27, 1960
Racine, Wisconsin, USA
OccupationIllustrator, writer
NationalityAmerican
Period1981–present
GenreChildren's picture books
Notable works
Notable awardsCaldecott Medal
2005
SpouseLaura Dronzek (1985–present)[1]
ChildrenWill (1995)
Clara (1998)[2][3]

Career

Kevin Henkes (pronounced HANK-us) thought he would be an artist until his junior year of high school when one of his teachers encouraged him in his writing efforts. He discovered that children's books combined both his literary and artistic interests.

Henkes writes and illustrates children's picture books, many of which feature mice as their main characters. He also writes middle-grade fiction. Henkes wrote his first book during his freshman year in college. The book's theme deals with how a child describes the pleasures of occasional solitude. This theme is common in many of Henkes' later books. Henkes, one of five children, says that many of his storylines are inspired by his family and the neighborhood where he grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. Henkes has written and illustrated around fifty critically acclaimed and award-winning picture books, early readers, and novels in his career thus far.

Henkes' first book, All Alone, was published in 1981 by Greenwillow Books. More than 50 books followed, including Chrysanthemum and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. In 1994 Henkes was a runner-up for one of the premier American Library Association (ALA) children's book awards, the Caldecott Medal for Owen, one of his mouse books. In 2004, he was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal for Olive's Ocean. The next year he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon, recognizing that as the year's best children's picture book published in the U.S. All of his books to date have been published by Greenwillow Books.

Henkes won the inaugural Phoenix Picture Book Award in 2013 for Owen. The Phoenix Awards from the Children's Literature Association recognize the best books that did not win major awards when they were first published twenty years earlier.[6][7] In 2014, he received a Newbery Honor for his book, The Year of Billy Miller.[8] In 2020 Henkes was awarded the ALA's Children's Literature Legacy Award, celebrating his entire body of work.[9]

Henkes and his wife, Laura Dronzek, have been collaborating on a series of picture books based on the four seasons. Henkes writes the story, while Dronzek provides the acrylic painting illustrations. The next title expected is Winter is Here.[10]

Personal life

Henkes was born in Racine, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Madison with his wife, artist Laura Dronzek, and their two children.[11]

Works

Novels

  • Return to Sender (1984)
  • Two Under Par (1987)
  • The Zebra Wall (1988) — Council of Wisconsin Writers Children's Book Award [12]
  • Words of Stone (1992)
  • Protecting Marie (1995)
  • Sun & Spoon (1997)
  • The Birthday Room (1999)
  • Olive's Ocean (2004) — Newbery Honor Book [13]
  • Bird Lake Moon (2008)
  • Junonia (2011)
  • The Year of Billy Miller (2013) — Newbery Honor Book [13]
  • Sweeping up the Heart (2018)
  • Billy Miller Makes a Wish (2020)

Picture Books

  • A Parade of Elephants (2018)
  • Winter Is Here (2018) illustrated by Laura Dronzek
  • Summer Song (2020) illustrated by Laura Dronzek
  • Sun Flower Lion (2020)

Mouse books

References
  1. Flynn, Kitty; Parravano, Martha V. (March 8, 2016). "Five questions for Laura Dronzek". The Horn Book. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  2. "Kevin Henkes — Twenty-five Years". The Horn Book. July 1, 2005. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  3. Lodge, Sally (May 30, 2013). "BEA 2013: Kevin Henkes: Inspired by His Kids". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  4. Handy, Bruce (May 13, 2007). "Getting Better All the Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  5. Worland, Gayle (12 January 2016). "New Caldecott honor a historic win for Madison author Kevin Henkes". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  6. "Phoenix Picture Book Award". Children's Literature Association. 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  7. "Children's Literature Association 2013 Phoenix Award panel". Call for Papers, 40th Annual Children's Literature Association Conference, University of Southern Mississippi, Biloxi, Mississippi, June 13–15, 2013. Call for Papers (call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu). Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  8. And the Newbery, Caldecott award winners are..., Ashley Strickland, CNN, January 27, 2014
  9. JCARMICHAEL (2020-01-27). "Kevin Henkes wins 2020 Children's Literature Legacy Award". News and Press Center. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  10. Kolker, Jeanne (September 4, 2017). "With autumn comes latest Henkes-Dronzek collaboration". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  11. New Caldecott honor a historic win for Madison author Kevin Henkes, by Gayle Worland
  12. "Contest History & Past Winners". Council for Wisconsin Writers. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  13. "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". ALSC. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. "Charlotte Zolotow Award Books". CCBC. University of Wisconsin - Madison. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  15. "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938-Present". ALSC. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  16. "(Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award winners and honor books, 2006 - present". ALSC. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
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