Eric Velásquez

Velásquez was born in New York City,^[1] 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,^[2] 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.^[1][3]

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).^[4][3] 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.^[3][5] He debuted as an author in 2001 with Grandma's Records.^[6]

As of 2014, Velásquez lived in New York City and taught book illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology.^[2]

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),^[7] Beautiful Moon (2015),^[8] Schomburg (2018),^[9] Ruth Objects (2021),^[10] and ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! (2022).^[11] Three of the books Velásquez has illustrated have been included on Rise: A Feminist Book Project lists: Touch the Sky (2013),^[12] Ruth Objects (2021),^[13][a] and She Was The First! (2021).^[13]

Kirkus Reviews and Shelf Awareness included Schomburg on their list of the best picture books of 2017.^[14][15] The following year, Booklist included it on their lists of the "Top 10 Biographies for Youth"^[16] and "Top 10 Diverse Nonfiction for Older and Middle Readers".^[17] In 2021, Booklist included ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! on their list of the "Top 10 Arts Books for Youth".^[18] The following year, they included Going Places on their "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth" list.^[19]

As author/illustrator

• Grandma's Records. Walker Books. 2001. ISBN 978-0-8027-8760-6.^[6]
• Grandma's Gift. Walker Books. 2010. ISBN 978-0-802-72082-5.^[7]
• Looking for Bongo. Holiday House. 2016. ISBN 978-0-823-43565-4.^[32]
• Octopus Stew. Holiday House. 2019. ISBN 978-0-823-43754-2.^[33]
  • Pulpo Guisado. Holiday House. 2020. ISBN 978-0-823-44864-7.^[34]

As illustrator

• Tate, Eleanora E. (1992). Front Porch Stories at the One-Room School. Yearling Books. ISBN 978-0-553-08384-2.^[35]
• Soto, Gary (1997). Off and Running. Yearling Books. ISBN 978-0-440-41432-2.^[36]
• Chocolate, Debbie (1998). The Piano Man. Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-802-77578-8.^[37]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2001). The Sound that Jazz Makes. Walker Books. ISBN 0-8027-7674-4.^[38]
• Francis, Panama; Reiser, Bob (2002). David Gets His Drum. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-0-7614-5088-7.^[39]
• Haskins, Jim (2002). Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali. Walker Childrens. ISBN 978-0-8027-8784-2.^[40]
• Ransom, Candice (2003). Liberty Street. Walker Childrens. ISBN 978-0-8027-8869-6.^[41]
• Walvoord, Linda (2004). Rosetta, Rosetta, Sit by Me!. Marshall Cavendish.^[42]
• Johnson, Angela (2005). A Sweet Smell of Roses. Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-689-83252-9.^[43]
• Krull, Kathleen (2005). Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King. Walker Childrens. ISBN 978-0-8027-8953-2.^[44]
• Brewster, Hugh (2006). The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George. Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-8109-5720-6.^[45]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2007). I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer. Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-8027-9688-2.^[46]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2007). Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive. Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-8027-9550-2.^[47]
• Boswell, Addie (2008). The Rain Stomper. Marshall Cavendish.^[48]
• Grimes, Nikki (2009). Voices of Christmas. Zonderkidz. ISBN 978-0-310-71192-6.^[49]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2009). Racing Against the Odds: Wendell Scott, African American Stock Car Champion. Marshall Cavendish Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-7614-5465-6.^[50]
• Dant, Traci (2010). Some Kind of Love: A Family Reunion in Poems. Two Lions. ISBN 978-0-761-45559-2.^[51]
• Hudson, Cheryl Willis (2010). My Friend Maya Loves to Dance. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 978-0-810-98328-1.^[52]
• Watkins, Angela Farris (2010). My Uncle Martin's Big Heart. Abrams. ISBN 978-0-8109-8975-7.^[53]
• Malaspina, Ann (2011). Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper. Albert Whitman & Co. ISBN 978-0-8075-8035-6.^[54]
• Brigham, Marilyn (2012). Swim!. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN 978-0-7614-6253-8.^[55]
• Michelson, Richard (2012). Twice as Good: The Story of William Powell and Clearview, the Only Golf Course Designed, Built, and Owned by an African American. Sleeping Bear Press. ISBN 978-1-585-36466-4.^[56]
• Fradin, Judith Bloom; Fradin, Dennis Brindell (2013). The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery. Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-8027-2166-2.^[57]
• Patricia, McKissack (2013). Ol' Clip Clop. Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-823-42265-4.^[58]
• Tuck, Pamela M. (2013). As Fast as Words Could Fly. Lee & Low. ISBN 978-1-60060-348-8.^[59]
• Bolden, Tonya (2014). Beautiful Moon: A Child's Prayer. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 978-1-419-70792-6.^[8]
• Ieronimo, Christine (2014). A Thirst for Home: A Story of Water Across the World. Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-8027-2307-9.^[60]
• Meyer, Susan Lynn (2014). New Shoes. Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-2528-0.^[61]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2017). Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-53-620897-9.^[62]
• Strong Voices: Fifteen American Speeches Worth Knowing. Introduction by Tonya Bolden and foreword by Cokie Roberts. HarperCollins. 2020. ISBN 978-0-06-257204-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)^[63]
• Rappaport, Doreen (2020). Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Disney/Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-484-74717-9.^[13]
• Russell-Brown, Katheryn (2020). She was the First! The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm. Lee & Low. ISBN 978-1-620-14346-9.^[13]
• Robbins, Dean (2021). ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! The Dance that Crossed Color Lines. Candlewick. ISBN 978-1-536-20608-1.^[11]
• Bolden, Tonya (2022). Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book. Quill Tree. ISBN 978-0-06-296740-4.^[64]
• Weatherford, Carole Boston (2024). Outspoken: Paul Robeson, Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show. Candlewick Press. ISBN 978-1-5362-1297-6.^[65]