Ezra Jack Keats Award

The New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation partner every year to give out the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards. The award goes out annually to an outstanding new writer of pictures books for children (age 9 and under).

The jury that picks the winner is made up of educators, librarians, illustrators, and experts in children's literature. They look for books that "portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world."

Eligible candidates are those who have published five or fewer books. The illustrator's award was added in 2001. A silver medal and $1,000 are given to each winner.

Winners