In this episode of Reading in the Middle, Annisha Jeffries interviews C.G. Esperanza, an illustrator, author, and teaching artist whose vibrant artwork has transformed the look and feel of children’s books. This year, Esperanza received the 2025 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for My Daddy Is a Cowboy and a Caldecott Honor. He has previously been recognized with the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Soul Food Sunday and the Pura Belpré Honor for Boogie, Boogie, Y’all. We discuss how his books, from the joyful kitchens of Soul Food Sunday to the neighborhood celebrations of Fish Fry Friday and the rhythm of Boogie, Boogie, Y’all, vividly portray community, culture, and everyday life. Esperanza’s art goes beyond illustration, it's music on the page, a love letter to family and place, and a call for children everywhere to see themselves reflected in the stories they read.

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