We asked the authors and illustrators of our current and upcoming titles about their favorite childhood book . . . and as a bonus we asked for photos of them as kids! Meet Skip, illustrator of A Gift from Greensboro, now and then:
Skip Hill’s body of art is comprised of illustrations, murals, collage paintings, and drawings that weave a rich tapestry of aesthetic styles, languages, and philosophies rooted in cultures around the world. He explores images and forms from cultural sources as diverse as comic books, Folk art, Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, Graffiti, and European Art History to produce an art that embraces the viewer in a visually engaging experience.
Skip’s early inspiration for making art was established in childhood through a love of reading and when his father introduced him to the work of artist Romare Bearden. Beyond his artistic innovations, Bearden’s activism and commitment to the Civil Rights Movement has influenced Skip’s commitment to using art and art education as a vehicle for affirming positive personal and social change. Follow Skip on Instagram: @skiphillart
Skip writes of his favorite childhood books, "The Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary immediately comes to mind. I tore through every new release. Looking back, I realize the boy that was me was drawn to the freedom of the world Henry lived in. I shared his sense of adventure but grew up in a strict, constricting family. The edge of my world was fenced in by my parents’ fear, while Henry and Ribsy could take the bus downtown without a grown-up in sight. I always wanted to do that as a kid.
Looking back, I also considered the idea of identity in children's literature for that time (60's-70's). I don't think I consciously thought of Henry as a "white boy" as much as an avatar for myself. But being the visual art that children's books are, I can't help but consider how this imprinted my personal narrative about Race and my place in this society. There was a sense in the world of my childhood reading that White kids could do so many things we couldn't do. Then Leo & Diane Dillon changed everything."
