Award-Winning Illustrator Visits Athens Academy Preschool

Staff Report

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023

Athens Academy was pleased to welcome award-winning author and illustrator R. Gregory Christie to campus on Friday, April 14. Mr. Christie talked about his childhood, his life as an artist and his work illustrating children's books.

Mr. Christie has illustrated over 60 books, many of which have won the Coretta Scott King Award and the NAACP Image Award including No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux; Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan; Only Passing Through, and Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change.

In addition to the Coretta Scott King and NAACP Image Awards, Mr. Christie has also been honored with the Caldecott Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books Award, the Schneider Family Book Award, and many others.

During his visit to the Preschool, Mr. Christie guided the students through an exercise of using simple shapes to create art. He also read to the students from Liza Wheeler’s book Jazz Baby, which he illustrated.