Charnelle Pinkney Barlow is an illustrator and expert tea drinker. Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, she was surrounded by art daily. Her passion for illustration grew after being introduced to the wonderful world of watercolor. This led her to combine the joy she found in books with her love of drawing and painting. Her debut children’s book Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan was nominated for Children’s Outstanding Literary Work at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards. She received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2010 and her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York, New York in 2012. Charnelle currently lives in central Illinois with her husband. When she’s not drawing, she is baking, sewing or reading with a cup of tea by her side.
Awards / Honors
- 2023 Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book- Everything in its Place
- 2023 Starred Review, Publishers Weekly- Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar
- 2023 ALSC Notable Book List – Everything in its Place
- 2022 Kirkus Best Picture Books of the Year – Everything in its Place
- 2022 ILA Notable Book- Born Ready
- 2022 KNEA Reading Circle Recommended List- Born Ready
- 2022 CCBC Choice- Born Ready
- Two Starred Reviews (Kirkus and Publishers Weekly) – Everything in its Place
- 2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literary Work Nomination – Just Like a Mama
- 2021 African American Children’s Book Project Best Picture Books – Just Like a Mama
- 2021 CCBC Choice – Just Like A Mama
