Learn All About These Iconic Tastemakers!

These historic people made a difference in the Arts, and deserve to be celebrated! There's a writer, a photographer, and a painter, and each left their own special mark on the world.

 Join us in-store for:

• Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton by NINA CREWS. This lyrical picture book biography tells the story of one of America’s most celebrated children’s book authors, Virginia Hamilton, the first African American to win the Newbery Medal! From her childhood years discovering her love for storytelling, to her early adult life honing her craft in the city, Virginia found her voice in her writing as she began a career defined by her roots.  
  
  
• I'm Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People illustrated by VICTORIA TENTLER-KRYLOV. Born in 1914 New York City to Italian immigrants, Ralph Fasanella’s youth was one of dress factories, ice deliveries, union meetings, and Momma’s stories of the Bread & Roses Strike around the dinner table. By teaching himself how to paint, Ralph discovered a new way to reach working people: he would depict their lives, their work, and American history with electric color at a grand scale.
  
  
• Everywhere Beauty is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarva by GARY GOLIO & illustrated by E.B. LEWIS. A child of the Harlem Renaissance and an artistic collaborator of Langston Hughes, Roy DeCarava is an unsung hero of Black history. Follow Roy through 1940s Harlem, as he takes out his camera, pops in a roll of film, and opens his eyes to the beauty all around him. Looking at his surroundings, Roy sees beauty everywhere in Harlem, and so do the people who look at his photos.

Saturday, February 24th at 1PM ET at Our 17th St Store!

For all Books of Wonder events, we expect all participants to maintain a family friendly atmosphere, inclusive of respect and fairness. Anyone who violates this standard of behavior, including engaging in any form of harassment, inappropriate language, or disruptive conduct, will, at our discretion, be immediately removed.