Pura Belpré Award
3 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2010) Winner
-
Edition 15 (2016) Winner
-
Edition 19 (2020) Winner
Rafael López
らふぁえる・ろぺす
Rafaelu Ropesu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1961-08-08 （Mexico City, Mexico）
- Nationality
- Mexico, United States
- Languages
- Spanish, English
- Residence History
- Mexico City, Mexico → Exeter, England → Los Angeles, California, United States → San Diego, California, United States → San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Career
- Occupations
- Illustrator, Artist, Muralist
- Active Years
- 1982-2024
- Influenced By
- Felipe Ehrenberg
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Bartolome Cossio | — | Experimental Freinet school | — | 幼少期 | Mexico |
| ArtCenter College of Design | — | Illustration | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 1982-1986 | United States |
Manuel Bartolome Cossio
Experimental Freinet school
Period:
幼少期
Country:
Mexico
Workshops in photography, painting, puppet making, etc.
ArtCenter College of Design
Illustration
Degree:
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Period:
1982-1986
Year of Graduation:
1986
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Pura Belpré Medal | Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln | イラストレーション | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Pura Belpré Medal | Drum Dream Girl | イラストレーション | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 2010 | Pura Belpré Medal | Book Fiesta! | イラストレーション | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Schneider Family Book Award | Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You | — | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Tomás Rivera Award | Maybe Something Beautiful | — | Texas State University | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Jane Addams Children's Book Award | The Day You Begin | — | Jane Addams Peace Association | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Original Art Silver Medal | Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics | — | Society of Illustrators New York | 受賞 |
| 2025 | Distinguished Mid-Career Award | — | — | ArtCenter College of Design | 受賞 |
Pura Belpré Medal
2020
Work:
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
Category:
イラストレーション
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Pura Belpré Medal
2016
Work:
Drum Dream Girl
Category:
イラストレーション
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Pura Belpré Medal
2010
Work:
Book Fiesta!
Category:
イラストレーション
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Schneider Family Book Award
2020
Work:
Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Tomás Rivera Award
2017
Work:
Maybe Something Beautiful
Organization:
Texas State University
Result:
受賞
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
2019
Work:
The Day You Begin
Organization:
Jane Addams Peace Association
Result:
受賞
Original Art Silver Medal
2017
Work:
Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics
Organization:
Society of Illustrators New York
Result:
受賞
Distinguished Mid-Career Award
2025
Organization:
ArtCenter College of Design
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 28 (2017) Winner
Works
Major Works
Book Fiesta!
2009 Picture BookA celebration of El Día de los niños/ El Día de los libros, Day of the Child/Day of the Book.
Joy of readingLatino cultureDiversity
Drum Dream Girl
2015 Picture BookStory of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a mixed-race Cuban girl defying gender roles in 1930s music scene.
CourageMusicGender equality
Adaptations
- [Animation] Drum Dream Girl (2017)
Dancing Hands
2019 Picture BookVenezuelan child pianist Teresa Carreño performs for President Lincoln during Civil War.
MusicHistoryMulticulturalism
The Day You Begin
2018 Picture BookChildren find courage to connect despite differences.
DiversityConnectionCourage
Just Ask!
2019 Picture BookDifferently abled kids use strengths to build a garden.
DisabilityStrengthsTeamwork
Bibliography
- And They Walk On
- The Little Book of Joy
- The Year We Learned to Fly
- I'll Meet You in Your Dreams
- Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You
- Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
- Sunny Day: A Celebration of the Sesame Street Theme Song
- We've Got the Whole World in our Hands
- The Day You Begin
- We Rise, We Resist, We Raise our Voices
- What's your Favorite Color?
- Bravo! Poems About Amazing Hispanics
- Maybe Something Beautiful
- Drum Dream Girl
- Tito Puente Mambo King, Rey del Mambo
- The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred
- Book Fiesta!
- Our California
- Yum! MmMm! Que rico!
- My Name is Celia, Me Llamo Celia
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Bold colorsTextured work on wood boardsFusion of graphic style and magical symbolismInfluenced by Mexican surrealism and folk art
- Recurring Motifs
- MusicDiverse charactersBirdsCultural myths and symbolsHope and community
Legacy
Mexican-American illustrator renowned for bringing diverse characters to children's books, winning three Pura Belpré Medals. Advanced social change through murals, USPS stamps, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
Museums
- Mazza Museum Ohio, United States Opened in 1982
- Eric Carle Museum Amherst, Massachusetts, United States Opened in 2002
- National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Texas, United States
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum Washington D.C., United States Opened in 1993
Archives
- University of California, Santa Barbara CEMA Library Collection
Trivia
- Designed 13 stamps for the United States Postal Service.
- First Guest Artist of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
- Created poster for Library of Congress National Book Festival.
- Designed official posters for Obama/Biden campaign.
- Founded Urban Art Trail project transforming San Diego's East Village.