E.B.'s Fans (4)

E.B. Lewis

Author profile

born

December 16, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA, The United States

gender

male

website

http://www.eblewis.com

genre

Children's Books

About this author

edit data

E.B. Lewis has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Nikki Grimes' Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, the 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner; Alice Schertle's Down the Road, an ALA Notable Book; Tolowa M. Mollel's My Rows and Piles of Coins, an ALA Notable Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; Bat Boy and His Violin by Garvin Curtis a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side, a 2002 Notable Book for the Language Arts.

Inspired by two artist uncles, as early as the third grade, Lewis displayed artistic promise. Beginning in the sixth grade, he attended the Saturday morning Temple University School of Art League and studied with Clarence Wood. Lewi...more E.B. Lewis has illustrated more than thirty books for children, including Nikki Grimes' Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, the 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner; Alice Schertle's Down the Road, an ALA Notable Book; Tolowa M. Mollel's My Rows and Piles of Coins, an ALA Notable Book and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book; Bat Boy and His Violin by Garvin Curtis a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Jacqueline Woodson's The Other Side, a 2002 Notable Book for the Language Arts.

Inspired by two artist uncles, as early as the third grade, Lewis displayed artistic promise. Beginning in the sixth grade, he attended the Saturday morning Temple University School of Art League and studied with Clarence Wood. Lewis attended the Temple University Tyler School of Art. There, he discovered his medium of preference was watercolor.

During his four years at Temple, Lewis majored in Graphic Design and Illustration and art education. After graduating, he taught art in public schools for twelve years. Presently, Lewis teaches at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, continues to paint and illustrate and is a member of The Society of Illustrators in New York City.

In 1992, Elizabeth O’Grady read a story about Lewis and saw examples of his wonderful watercolors in Artist Magazine. Previously, at a Society of Illustrators Annual Children’s Art Show, an art director from Simon & Schuster had asked Elizabeth to contact her if Elizabeth found any talented Afro-American artists who might want to illustrate children’s books. Elizabeth handed the magazine article about Lewis to her partner, Jeff Dwyer. He telephoned and explained the business of children’s book illustration to a quiet Earl B. Lewis. Lewis asked Jeff the names of other African-American children’s book illustrators, and after Jeff gave him the names of the “usual suspects,” Lewis told Jeff that he’d get back in touch with him if he was interested in pursuing children’s book illustration. About a week later, Lewis called and said, “Hey, I can paint better than those guys!” Within a year, Lewis had delivered his illustrations for Fire On The Mountain (S&S), quit his teaching job and began a career as a full-time children’s book illustrator.

In 2003, the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota purchased a collection of original watercolors from Lewis’ first twenty-five children’s books. His work is owned by numerous private collectors and sold by art galleries throughout the United States.
(less)

combine editions
Books by E.B. Lewis

Average rating: 4.22 · 1,891 ratings · 543 reviews · 31 distinct works

	This Little Light of Mine 4.67 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2005	My rating:
	Untitled Picture Book 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — expected publication 2012	My rating:
	The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 4.40 avg rating — 963 ratings — published 2001 — 2 editions	My rating:
	The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 4.34 avg rating — 183 ratings — published 2009	My rating:
	Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change by Michelle Cook, Bryan Collier (Illustrator), Diane Dillon (Illustrator) 4.28 avg rating — 74 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions	My rating:
	The Bat Boy And His Violin (Aladdin Picture Books) by Gavin Curtis, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 3.88 avg rating — 77 ratings — published 1998 — 5 editions	My rating:
	My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 4.00 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 1999	My rating:
	The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 3.88 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 2009	My rating:
	Stars Above Us by Geoffrey Norman, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 3.31 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2009	My rating:
	Dirt on Their Skirts: The Story of the Young Women who Won the World Championship by Doreen Rappaport, Lyndall Callan, E.B. Lewis (Illustrator) 3.68 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 2000	My rating:

More books by E.B. Lewis…

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Children's Books: June 2010: Culinary Delights (Master List & General Discussion)	86	59	Jul 13, 2010 09:34am
Children's Books: * Announcements! Excitement!	228	691	May 18, 2012 11:37am

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite E.B. to Goodreads.