Carole Boston Weatherford

Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books. Her picture book BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood received a Newbery Honor. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by the late Floyd Cooper, was a National Book Award longlist title, won the Coretta Scott King Award for author and illustrator, and received a Caldecott Honor and a Sibert Honor. When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.

Interview

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks

What’s your favorite line from a book?

“Your life may be the only bible some people ever see.”—From Carver by Marilyn Nelson

Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?

Marilyn Nelson, Jacqueline Woodson, Kwame Alexander

Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?

To create the diverse books that I wished I’d had as a child and that I wanted my own children to read.

Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?

Create from the heart.