WELCOME TO THE 7TH ANNUAL
Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Blackbird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other birds persist, and soon each is given a ring of black around their neck or a dot of black on their wings—markings that detail birds to this very day.
Coretta Scott King Award-winner Ashley Bryan’s adaptation of a tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia resonates both with rhythm and the tale’s universal meanings: appreciating one’s heritage and discovering the beauty within. His cut-paper artwork is a joy.
Ashley Bryan grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children ever since. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for this picture book, Freedom Over Me. He has been the recipient of the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award; the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award; has been a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer; a Coretta Scott King Award winner; and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine. The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival was founded in Ashley’s honor.
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