A Sense of Community-Gordon C. James

Gordon C. James has been pursuing a professional career in art ever since attending high school at Suitland Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Forestville, MD. He also received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. As an illustrator of numerous books, he has been the recipient of prestigious awards including a 2018 Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Honor, Illustrator, 2018, Ezra Jack Keats Honor, Illustrator, 2018, NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children: Recommended Book, Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, Best Picture Book for Black Boys Honorable Mention, Bookstagram Best of 2017 Awards. Gordon is also an accomplished, classically trained painter. James was born in Washington, DC and raised in Maryland. He does classroom visits where he Shares his challenges and successes as an illustrator, while taking his audiences on a journey that inspires them to work hard, persevere and dream big.