Don Tate

Tate began his career as an illustrator with Say Hey: A Song of Willie Mays (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2000), written by Peter Mandel.

His first book as an author, It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, was published by Lee & Low Books in 2012. It is a "captivating"[3] biography of folk artist Bill Traylor, a former slave. The book received numerous awards such as a Lee & Low New Voices Honor Award[3] and an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor.[4] It was selected as a Kirkus Best Children’s Books List Selection,[5] a Booklist Editors’ Choice, 2012,[6] and a New York Public Library Top 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing as well as one of Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2012.[7]

Tate's 2015 illustrated picture book Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton tells the story of the 19th century slave in Chatham County, North Carolina who subsequently became the first African American in the Southern United States to write a book.[8] Tate was inspired to write about Horton via a friend; he researched his life in the University of North Carolina archives.[9] The Wilson Library at UNC hosted the national launch of the book on September 3, 2015.[10][11] A review in the School Library Journal called the book "A lovely introduction to an inspirational American poet."[12] The Boston Globe called it "a moving biography of a slave who taught himself to read using a discarded spelling book".[13] In 2016, Tate won an Ezra Jack Keats Book Award,[14] A Christopher,[15] and a Texas Institute of Letters book prize.[16]

Tate was the recipient of the Texas Book Festival's Texas Writer Award in 2021,[17] and was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2022.[18]

In his work, Tate often writes about historical figures who persisted during the period of American slavery.[19] In the New York Times article "'A Fine Dessert': Judging a Book by the Smile of a Slave," Tate was quoted on the topic, saying, "children's books needed to show a range of experience, including suffering and enduring."[20] In 2016 television segment of Texas Country Reporter, Tate spoke about his work with stories of enslaved people and preserving these important narratives, stating the importance of telling children the truth and not sugar coating history.

In addition to children’s books, Tate also licenses his art to product manufacturers. KIDZ is a line of juvenile bed and bathroom products including wallpaper, light switches, wall art and drawer knobs. He also has a line of children’s textile/fabric available at specialty fabric shops, which feature his designs. My Peepz, a group of African American characters, is marketed to tweeners and has been successful in the calendar market. Tate created the calendars due to a lack of African Americans on existing products.[22]

Tate speaks at schools,[23] public libraries and writing conferences, including the Vermont College of Fine Arts;[24] Texas Writer’s League; Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; Pathways to Literacy Conferences(International Institute of Literacy Learning).

Tate has been a featured illustrator/speaker/exhibitor at various literary festivals, including the Texas Book Festival,[25] The Savannah Children’s Book Festival,[26] The Dallas Children’s Book and Literary Festival, Bookamania (Chicago Public Library),[27] and such conferences as: The International Reading Association; Texas Library Association Black Caucus Roundtable[28] and The National Alliance of Black School Educators.[29]

He and his family live in Austin, Texas.[30]

• Throwback Thursday: Don Tate’s Journey to Becoming an Artist
• Austinite Don Tate tells Americans’ forgotten stories through diverse children’s books
• Optimism Works: “I didn’t wait for an opportunity, I just started doing it!”
• Author-Illustrator Don Tate talks Multicultural Children's Books
• Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Don Tate
• Illustrating Color, Communication Arts

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Don Tate.

• thebrownbookshelf.com
• weneeddiversebooks.org