Eric Velasquez
Velásquez is an American author and illustrator of over 30 children's books. Among other honors, he has won a John Steptoe New Talent Award (2001), Pura Belpré Award (2011), and NAACP Image Award (2021).
Also recorded as Eric Velásquez · Eric A. Velásquez · Eric A Velásquez · Eric A. Velasquez
Eric Velasquez
- Occupation
- Illustrator
- Birthplace
- New York City, United States
- Awards
- * John Steptoe New Talent Award (1999)
- Education
- School of Visual Arts (BFA, 1983)
- Born
- 1961 · East Harlem.
- Honours
- Belpré Medal
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Velásquez is an American author and illustrator of over 30 children's books. Among other honors, he has won a John Steptoe New Talent Award (2001), Pura Belpré Award (2011), and NAACP Image Award (2021).
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Authority files
wikidata · Q84109417 · wikipedia · Eric Velásquez
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Occupation — Illustrator • Birthplace — New York City, United States • Awards — * John Steptoe New Talent Award (1999) • Pura Belpré Award (2011) • Walter Dean Myers Award (2018) • NAACP Image Award (2021) • Education — School of Visual Arts (BFA, 1983) • Website — ericvelasquez.com
Biography
Biography
Velásquez was born in New York City, and grew up in Spanish Harlem. He is of Afro-Puerto Rican descent, and his first language was Spanish. He graduated from the High School of Art and Design, then in 1983 received a Bachelor of Arts from School of Visual Arts, after which he studied at the Art Students League of New York with Harvey Dinnerstein. Before illustrating picture books, Velásquez designed book jackets and interior illustrations, including for Beverley Naidoo's Journey to Jo'burg (1986) and Chain of Fire (1990). His first illustrated picture book was Debbie Chocolate's The Piano Man (1998), which won him the 1999 John Steptoe New Talent Award for Illustrators. He debuted as an author in 2001 with Grandma's Records. As of 2014, Velásquez lived in New York City and taught book illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1961
Eric Velasquez was born on 1 December 1961.
As author/illustrator
As illustrator
As illustrator
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Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q84109417: Eric Velasquez
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Eric Velásquez”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards and honors
The Association for Library Service to Children has named five of the books Velásquez has published as Notable Children's Books: Grandma's Gift (2011), Beautiful Moon (2015), Schomburg (2018), Ruth Objects (2021), and ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! (2022). Three of the books Velásquez has illustrated have been included on Rise: A Feminist Book Project lists: Touch the Sky (2013), Ruth Objects (2021), and She Was The First! (2021). Kirkus Reviews and Shelf Awareness included Schomburg on their list of the best picture books of 2017. The following year, Booklist included it on their lists of the "Top 10 Biographies for Youth" and "Top 10 Diverse Nonfiction for Older and Middle Readers". In 2021, Booklist included ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! on their list of the "Top 10 Arts Books for Youth". The following year, they included Going Places on their "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth" list. Awards for Velásquez's books • Year — Title — Award — Result — Reference • 1999 — John Steptoe New Talent Award • 2001 — Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Elementary Level) • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children • 2011 — Grandma's Gift — Pura Belpré Award for Illustrator • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children • 2015 — Beautiful Moon — Charlotte Zolotow Award • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children • 2016 — New Shoes — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children • 2018 — Schomburg — AAUW NC Award for Young People’s Literature • Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Middle Level) • Golden Kite Award for Non-Fiction for Younger Readers • Jefferson Cup Award • Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Readers • YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction • 2021 — She Was the First! — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Citations
References
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authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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