Featured books by Christopher Myers
Christopher Myers has written and illustrated books alone and in collaboration with his father, Walter Dean Myers. His bold art has been awarded a Caldecott Honor and several Coretta Scott King Honors for illustration.
Black Cat
Travel with a black cat through and across an urban landscape, experiencing the rhythms and pulse of the city. Strong images are actually montages of paintings and photographs.
Fly!
A lonely boy finds friendship and understanding on the roof of his city apartment. Robust paintings illustrate the eloquently told story of Jawanza and the older man who understands the pigeons the boy watches.
H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Imagination and Basketball
The fun of friends playing a game of basketball comes to life.
My Pen
A boy in a fedora uses his pen to travel, grow, “make giants of old men/who have seen better days” (an homage to his late father, Walter Dean Myers), and visit places real and imagined. Black and white line drawings and sophisticated, poetic language effectively convey the power of art and imagination and are sure to spark conversation.
Wings
Stunning, bold collage illustrations carry the action in this reworking of the traditional Greek myth. Here, Icarus becomes Ikarus, a boy of color, who learns to fly in spite of the society in which he lives.
Books illustrated by Christopher Myers
Blues Journey
Rich paintings in limited colors convey the power of a people and a piece of their history. Done in the cadence of the Blues, this unique and powerful picture book inspired by the uniquely African American music and related experience is for older readers.
Firebird
Misty Copeland, the African American Ballet Theater soloist, has an encouraging conversation with a young black aspiring ballerina: "darling child, don't you know/you're just where I started/let the sun shine on your face…." Stunning mixed media illustrations capture the movement of dance and emotions of hope.
Harlem
Experienced readers will enjoy this stunning and sophisticated visit to Harlem in word and image. Landmarks like the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater are included and invite discussion.
Jabberwocky
Stunning, semi-abstract illustrations create a contemporary, recognizable setting for Lewis Carroll's now classic nonsense poem. An illustrator's note provides background for the choice of the Jabberwock as a many-fingered ball handler on an urban basketball court.
Jazz
Experience the explosion of color and movement of jazz as you pulsate with its beat in a vibrant series of poems and paintings. This father-and-son team explores a variety of jazz forms in an unforgettable book.
In 2008, the first Odyssey Award for distinguished children's/young adult audiobook was presented to this read-along title. This package brings together the illustrations of the book with the featured Jazz music.
Lies & Other Tall Tales
Can a lie be so good that you don’t want to know the truth? Well, you may think so as you read these entertaining, outlandish and sometimes irreverent tales adapted and splendidly illustrated for younger readers.
Looking Like Me
A boy named Jeremy defines himself in the context of his world. The animated narrator begins by looking in the mirror and seeing a boy, and then adds brother, son, artist, writer, and more as he interacts with his family and community. The lively poem concludes with a look at a very young author and illustrator and a short list of how they self-define.
Proceeds from the sale of books purchased at Amazon.com help support the Reading Rockets project. Thank you!
