Just Jerry

I read Just Jerry by Jerry Pinkney after seeing it on the new-book shelf at the library. It is a memoir by Jerry Pinkney (well-known children's book illustrator) written for a young audience. The book description says, "Jerry Pinkney—creator of Caldecott Medal-winning The Lion & the Mouse and The Little Mermaid—drew everywhere, all the time. Since childhood, it was how he made sense of the world—how he coped with the stress of being a sensitive child growing up in crowded spaces, struggling with a learning disability, in a time when the segregation of Black Americans was the norm. Only drawing could offer him a sense of calm, control, and confidence. When friends and siblings teased him about having the nickname “Jerry” as his only name, his mother always said, “Just ‘Jerry’ is enough. He’ll make something of that name someday.” And so he did, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated children’s book illustrators of all time and paving the way for countless other Black artists." 

This was a great read. It's a little bit shorter of a book than I usually include on this blog, but I thought it was worth including. I really liked learning about how Jerry struggled with dyslexia and the people in his life who believed in him and helped him become all that he did. The book was engaging and inspiring, and I think anyone who has read any of Jerry Pinkney's books would enjoy this memoir.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)