Jonah Winter

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About Jonah Winter

Jonah Winter is the award-winning, celebrated author of over 40 nonfiction picture books, including New York Times bestseller, BARACK. Jonah Winter’s wide-ranging interests have led him to write and illustrate picture books on racism, baseball players, avant-garde artists, jazz musicians, exotic dancers, presidents, manual laborers, Beethoven’s difficulties moving in and out of 39 apartments, garbage, 12-century mystics, and his own father’s experiences growing up in East Texas during the Great Depression. His book about racial injustice and voting rights, LILLIAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE, was a 2016 Jane Addams Award Honor Book and a 2015 Kirkus Prize finalist. Three of his books, DIEGO, HERE COME THE GARBAGE BARGE and RUTH BADER GINSBURG, were New York Times Best Illustrated Books. His book about the making of the atom bomb, THE SECRET PROJECT, received 5 starred reviews. His book about the children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, MY NAME IS JAMES MADISON HEMINGS, was a New York Times Notable. A poet, painter, musician, and cook, Jonah Winter divides his time between New York City and a small town in Pennsylvania.

To find out more about Jonah Winter, go to his website: www.jonahwinter.com

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Author Updates

Titles By Jonah Winter

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Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx/La juez que creció en el Bronx (Spanish Edition) Jun 7, 2011

by Jonah Winter, Edel Rodriguez

( 358 )

$10.99

The inspiring and timely story of Sonia Sotomayor, who rose up from a childhood of poverty and prejudice to become the first Latino to be nominated to the US Supreme Court.

Before Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took her seat in our nation's highest court, she was just a little girl in the South Bronx. Justice Sotomayor didn't have a lot growing up, but she had what she needed -- her mother's love, a will to learn, and her own determination. With bravery she became the person she wanted to be. With hard work she succeeded. With little sunlight and only a modest plot from which to grow, Justice Sotomayor bloomed for the whole world to see.

Antes de que la magistrada de la Corte Suprema Sonia Sotomayor llegara al máximo tribunal de nuestra nación, no era más que una niñita en el South Bronx. La magistrada Sotomayor no tuvo mucho durante sus primeros años, pero sí tuvo lo que contaba -- el amor de su madre, la voluntad de aprender y su propia determinación. Con valentía se hizo la persona que quería ser. Con trabajo arduo triunfó. Con un poquito de sol en un solarcito donde crecer, la magistrada Sotomayor floreció para que todo el mundo la vea.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

Jazz Age Josephine: Dancer, singer--who's that, who? Why, that's MISS Josephine Baker, to you! Jan 3, 2012

by Jonah Winter, Marjorie Priceman

( 35 )

$10.99

A picture book biography that will inspire readers to dance to their own beats!

Singer, dancer, actress, and independent dame, Josephine Baker felt life was a performance. She lived by her own rules and helped to shake up the status quo with wild costumes and a you-can’t-tell-me-no attitude that made her famous. She even had a pet leopard in Paris!

From bestselling children’s biographer Jonah Winter and two-time Caldecott Honoree Marjorie Priceman comes a story of a woman the stage could barely contain. Rising from a poor, segregated upbringing, Josephine Baker was able to break through racial barriers with her own sense of flair and astonishing dance abilities. She was a pillar of steel with a heart of gold—all wrapped up in feathers, sequins, and an infectious rhythm.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates Jul 26, 2011

by Jonah Winter, Raúl Colón

( 92 )

$8.99

A moving, exquisitely illustrated picture book biography of Roberto Clemente, legendary Latino baseball player, pioneer, and humanitarian.

On an island called Puerto Rico, there lived a little boy who wanted only to play baseball. Although he had no money, Roberto Clemente practiced and practiced until—eventually—he made it to the Major Leagues. As a right-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he fought tough opponents—and even tougher racism—but with his unreal catches and swift feet, he earned his nickname, "The Great One." He led the Pirates to two World Series, hit three-thousand hits, and was the first Latino to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But it wasn't just baseball that made Clemente legendary—he was was also a humanitarian dedicated to improving the lives of others.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

Oil Mar 31, 2020

by Jonah Winter, Jeanette Winter

( 14 )

$10.99

Mother-son team Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter tell the story of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its devastating and lingering effects in this poetic and timely picture book.

Oil is drawn up from deep in the earth by machines, transported through pipelines, and pumped onto a ship that sails out to sea. When the ship crashes into a reef, the oil spills out over miles of ocean, covering rocks and animals alike. What will the consequences be?

In this poignant and impactful picture book, celebrated picture book creators Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter powerfully explore the devastating impact mankind can have on nature.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Born and Bred in the Great Depression Oct 11, 2011

by Jonah Winter, Kimberly Bulcken Root

( 19 )

$4.99

East Texas, the 1930s—the Great Depression. Award-winning author Jonah Winter's father grew up with seven siblings in a tiny house on the edge of town. In this picture book, Winter shares his family history in a lyrical text that is clear, honest, and utterly accessible to young readers, accompanied by Kimberly Bulcken Root's rich, gorgeous illustrations. Here is a celebration of family and of making do with what you have—a wonderful classroom book that's also perfect for children and parents to share.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Thurgood Sep 3, 2019

by Jonah Winter, Bryan Collier

( 56 )

$10.99

Thurgood Marshall--the first black justice on the Supreme Court and a giant of the civil rights movement--jumps to life in this inspiring picture-book biography from an award-winning author and six-time Coretta Scott King, four-time Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator.

Thurgood Marshall was a born lawyer--the loudest talker, funniest joke teller, and best arguer from the time he was a kid growing up in Baltimore in the early 1900s. He would go on to become the star of his high school and college debate teams, a stellar law student at Howard University, and, as a lawyer, a one-man weapon against the discriminatory laws against black Americans. After only two years at the NAACP, he was their top lawyer and had earned himself the nickname Mr. Civil Rights. He argued--and won--cases before the Supreme Court, including one of the most important cases in American history: Brown v Board of Education. And he became the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice in history.

Like its subject, here is a biography that crackles with energy and intensity--a great introduction to a great man.

A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Youth Editor’s Choice Selection
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature’s Best Book

Other Formats: Hardcover

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Jul 14, 2015

by Jonah Winter, Shane W. Evans

( 172 )

$4.99

An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family’s tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Veteran bestselling picture-book author Jonah Winter and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Shane W. Evans vividly recall America’s battle for civil rights in this lyrical, poignant account of one woman’s fierce determination to make it up the hill and make her voice heard.

"Moving.... Stirs up a potent mixture of grief, anger, and pride at the history of black people’s fight for access to the ballot box." —The New York Times

"A much-needed picture book that will enlighten a new generation about battles won and a timely call to uphold these victories in the present." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"A valuable introduction to and overview of the civil rights movement." —Publishers Weekly, Starred

"An important book that will give you goose bumps." —Booklist, Starred

Other Formats: Hardcover

Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet Feb 7, 2017

by Jonah Winter, C. F. Payne

( 15 )

$10.99

The ONLY nonfiction picture book about New York Yankee Mickey Mantle, one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

From award-winning author Jonah Winter and #1 New York Times bestselling artist C. F. Payne comes this extraordinary picture-book biography that traces Mickey Mantle’s unparalleled baseball career. He could run from home plate to first base in 2.9 seconds. He could hit a ball 540 feet—the longest home run in major league history. He was the greatest switch hitter ever to play the game. And he did it all despite broken bones, pulled muscles, strains, and sprains, from his shoulders to his feet. How did a poor country boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, become one of the greatest and most beloved baseball players of all time? This is the story.

Other Formats: Hardcover

The Sad Little Fact May 7, 2019

by Jonah Winter, Pete Oswald

( 143 )

$10.99

A New York Times bestselling author and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Good Egg deliver a perfectly timed, funny read-aloud about the importance of telling the truth.

There once was a fact who could not lie.

But no one believed him.

When the Authorities lock the sad little fact away, along with other facts, the world goes dark. But facts are stubborn things. With the help of a few skillful fact finders, they make a daring escape and bring truth back to brighten the world. Because after all, "a fact is a fact" and that's that!

Truth be told, this spare, ingenious story reads like a modern-day parable. Bestselling author, Jonah Winter, and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Good Egg, Pete Oswald, pair together to remind us of the importance of honesty and truth during a time of lies and fake news.

Other Formats: Hardcover

The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven Apr 30, 2014

by Jonah Winter, Barry Blitt

( 19 )

$3.99

How hard is it to move 5 legless pianos 39 times?
Beethoven owned five legless pianos and composed great works on the floor. His first apartment was in the center of Vienna's theater district... but he forgot to pay rent, so he had to move. (And it's very hard to move a piano. Even harder to move five). Beethoven's next apartment was in a dangerous part of town... so he moved, and the pianos followed on a series of pulleys. Then came an apartment with a view of the Danube (but he made too much noise and the neighbors complained), followed by an attic apartment (where he made even MORE of a rukus), and so Beethoven moved again and again. Each time, pianos were bought, left behind, transported on pulleys, slides, and by movers, all so that gifted Beethoven could compose great works of music for the world.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Elvis Is King! Jan 8, 2019

by Jonah Winter, Red Nose Studio

( 64 )

$10.99

Elvis Presley--the King of Rock 'n' Roll, still beloved by millions of Americans--comes to vibrant, gyrating life in this extraordinary picture-book biography from an award-winning author and the winner of a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.

Here's the perfect book for anyone who wants to introduce rock 'n' roll and its king to the child in their lives. In single- page "chapters" with titles like "The First Cheeseburger Ever Eaten by Elvis" and "Shazam! A Blond Boy Turns into a Black-Haired Teenager," readers can follow key moments in Presley's life, from his birth on the wrong side of the railroad tracks in the Deep South, to playing his first guitar in grade school, to being so nervous during a performance as a teenager that he starts shaking . . . and changes the world!

Jonah Winter and Red Nose Studio have created a tour-de-force that captures a boy's loneliness and longing, along with the energy and excitement, passion, and raw talent that was Elvis Presley.

"Readers will want to pore over this thoroughly engaging volume." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Other Formats: Hardcover

Welcome to Bobville: City of Bobs Sep 1, 2020

by Jonah Winter, Bob Staake

( 24 )

$10.99

Here's a timely, hilarious picture book, with Seussian appeal! In Bobville, everyone is named...yup, Bob...and everything is exactly the same--until one Bob decides he'd like to be a Bruce.

Welcome to Bobville, home to people only named Bob! In Bobville, the Bobs eat the same food, wear the same clothes, watch the same movies, and have the same hobbies. They agree on everything-- ESPECIALLY that they don't like anyone who isn't named Bob. The Bobs go about their Bob ways, until one day, to the surprise of the entire city, one resident decides he wants to do things a little differently, and live as Bruce. In response, the Bobs build a wall to keep Bruce, and anyone else who dares to be different, out of the city. But Bruce doesn't mind-- it turns out the diverse world outside of Bobville is actually very beautiful. In this timely picture book, bestselling author Jonah Winter and acclaimed illustrator Bob Staake explore how exclusion and walls breed intolerance, and how being different and open-minded enriches our lives and the world.

Other Formats: Hardcover

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