David Díaz (illustrator)


David Díaz is an American illustrator of children's books. He won the 1995 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration recognizing Smoky Night by Eve Bunting. He lives in Carlsbad, California.

Biography

David Díaz grew up in southern Florida with his family. He discovered his love for drawing when he was in the first grade while working on a vowel worksheet. His parents were afraid of his love for art because they did not want him to struggle with the uncertainty of being an artist. His mother died when he was sixteen years old. From this tragedy in Díaz's life, he used drawing as a way for an emotional output. In high school, Díaz had an inspiring teacher that was able to lead him to competitions where he won awards for his art. When he got older, Díaz moved to southern California where he became a graphic design artist until he made his own design and illustration business called Diaz Icon. In 2018, a book Diaz had illustrated was pulled before its publication following allegations of sexual harassment at a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference.

Awards and exhibitions

;Exhibitions
;Awards
;Runners-up