Cozbi A. Cabrera, an honoree for the 2021 Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, will introduce herself and her talents to the children of Dauphin County during The Library’s 15th Annual Joan Y. Leopold Children’s Book Week.

The series of events, held November 8 to 14, introduces children to the talented author and illustrator whose latest book, “Me & Mama,” presents a day full of loving moments between a mother and daughter.

“Children get a kick out of authors and illustrators reading from the book, even if they’ve read it before,” says Cabrera. “They are also very curious about the bookmaking process. Seeing what many different people might create stirs something in them and lets them know what is possible.”

Every year, Children’s Book Week presents authors and illustrators who take children behind the scenes, explaining how books are made.

“The goal is to get young children to meet an author and get excited about reading,” says Youth Services Director Hannah Killian.

The 2021 Caldecott Awards, honoring distinguished achievement in children’s book illustrations since 1938, cited “Me & Mama” as an honoree. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to African American authors and illustrators whose works for children and young adults “demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.”

Two of the three 2021 Illustrator Honor Books were Cabrera’s – “Me & Mama,” plus “Exquisite: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks,” written by Suzanne Slade.

Killian invited Cabrera to lead the 2021 Children’s Book Week for her storytelling skill and national stature.

“I got ‘Me & Mama’ for my daughter for Christmas last year, and we have read it a thousand times,” says Killian. “I loved this book. I love the story. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. It’s so poetic as well. It is really, honestly my favorite book of 2021.”

Ask Cabrera when her artistic talent emerged, and she says, “All of my life.”

“I was the one the teacher appointed to decorate the classroom,” she says. “If there was a mural that needed to be done, they pointed to me, and that was in grammar school – really, really early.”

Cabrera grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and studied industrial design at a city sciences high school. Skilled in science and math, she majored in pre-med for two years before pursuing a life in the arts. Her path took her to Paris, studying communications design with Parsons School of Design. She was also a designer and art director for Atlantic Records.

Another of her passions – making Black dolls in exquisitely historical detail – opened the door to illustrating children’s books for major publishers.

Cabrera started creating the dolls to offset the stereotypes of Black women and girls often seen in antique ephemera, presenting images closer to their flesh-and-blood selves.

“It’s important for me that all kids see themselves out in the world,” says Cabrera, who now lives in Evanston, IL. “It’s valuable for the entire world, not just for that child being represented.”

A publisher who saw them invited Cabrera to submit ideas for a book, expecting fabric collage artwork. She was surprised when Cabrera’s concept sketches demonstrated her ability to draw.

Cabrera hopes her illustrations provide a glimpse of the broader world to her young readers and their families.

“I should be able to peer in, if I want to, and know a little bit about the life of a child in the Middle East even if I live in Brooklyn,’’ she says. “We’re all entitled to swap and have a share and a look into other stories.”

How to attend

The 15th Annual Joan Y. Leopold Children’s Book Week Celebration takes place November 8 to 14, 2021. There will be special programming featuring Cozbi Cabrera at the Elizabethville Area Library on Friday, November 12 at 5:30 p.m.; Alexander Family Library on Saturday, November 13 at 10 a.m.; Kline Library on Saturday, November 13 at 1:30 p.m.; and East Shore Area Library, also live-streamed simultaneously for virtual participation, on Sunday, November 14 at 2 p.m.

In-person attendance is limited and socially distanced at each venue, and registration is required. Each family that registers will receive a free copy of “Me & Mama” to keep.