Andrea Davis was born September 25, 1963, in Washington D.C. and was raised in Connecticut. Her parents were involved in the civil rights movement and exposed Andrea to the cause from early on, even taking her to the annual conference of the National Urban League during many of her summer vacations. Pinkney graduated from Syracuse University in 1985 with a degree in journalism and began working as an editor at Mechanix Illustrated. She then went on to work as a senior editor at Essence, as well as an editor for the book publishers Simon & Schuster and Scholastic While working at one of these early editing jobs, Andrea met Brian Pinkney, a Caldecott Honor-winning children's book illustrator, whom she later married. The two have collaborated on a number of books including Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down, Duke Ellington, Seven Candles for Kwanzaa, and Dear Benjamin Banneker She was chosen to deliver the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture at the University of Minnesota Libraries, Children's Literature Research Collections, Saturday, May 3, 2014, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. She was cited in January 2013 for "significant contributions to literature for young people provided through a body of work that brings a deeper understanding of African American heritage". She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Selected bibliography
• A Poem for Peter illus by Lou Fancher & Steve Johnson • Rhythm Ride • The Red Pencil illus by Shane Evans • Martin & Mahalia: His Words, Her Songs illus by Brian Pinkney • Peace Warriors • Bird in a Box • Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America illus by Brian Pinkney • Dear America: With the Might of the Angels • Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down illus by Brian Pinkney • Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride illus by Brian Pinkney • Meet the Obamas: America's First Family • Boycott Blues illus by Brian Pinkney • Fishing Day illus by Shane Evans • Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa illus by Brian Pinkney • Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters • Mim's Christmas Jam illus by Brian Pinkney • Dear Mr. President: Abraham Lincoln: Letters from a Slave Girl • Let it Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters illus by Stephen Alcorn – Winner of Coretta Scott King author award • Silent Thunder: A Civil War Story • Raven in a Dove House • Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra illus by Brian Pinkney • Watch Me Dance illus by Brian Pinkney • Shake Shake Shake illus by Brian Pinkney • Solo Girl illus by Nneka Bennett • Pretty Brown Face illus by Brian Pinkney • I Smell Honey illus by Brian Pinkney • Bill Pickett, Rodeo Ridin' Cowboy illus by Brian Pinkney • Hold Fast to Dreams • Dear Benjamin Banneker illus by Brian Pinkney • Seven Candles for Kwanzaa illus by Brian Pinkney • Alvin Ailey illus by Brian Pinkney
Honors and awards
Best Arts Feature award Highlights for Children Foundation, 1992 Parenting Publication award, 1993 Pick of the List designation-American Booksellers, 1993, for Seven Candles for Kwanzaa National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council, 1994, for Dear Benjamin Banneker Notable Book citations, Society of School Librarians International, and American Library Association Notable Book, both 1996, both for Bill Pickett: Rodeo Ridin' Cowboy; Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 2001, for Let it Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 2011, for Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down Coretta Scott King award, 2013. The George Arents Award Medgar Evers CollegeLifetime Achievement Award
