Pura Belpré Award
The Pura Belpré Award is a recognition presented to a Latino or Latina author and illustrator whose work best portrays the Latino cultural experience in a work of literature for children or youth. It was established in 1996. It was given every other year since 1996 until 2009 when it was changed to be given annually.
The award is named in honor of Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian from the New York Public Library. As a children's librarian, storyteller, and author, she enriched the lives of Latino children through her pioneering work of preserving and disseminating Puerto Rican folklore.
The award is given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.
Criteria
From 1996 to 2020, two medals were awarded at ALA's annual conference, one to a Latinx author and one to a Latinx illustrator, for creating outstanding original children's books that portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latinx cultural experience. Beginning in 2021, the author category was divided into two: one for a children's author and one for a young adult author. For the purpose of the award, "Latinx" is defined as people whose heritage emanates from any of the Spanish-speaking cultures of the Western Hemisphere.To be eligible for the award, book must meet the following criteria:
- Published in the United States
- Author/illustrator is a resident or citizen of the United States
- Published in Spanish, English, or both
Recipients
| Year | Category | Recipient | Title | Result | Ref. |
| 1996 | Author | Winner | |||
| 1996 | Author | Honor | |||
| 1996 | Author | Baseball in April, and Other Stories | Honor | ||
| 1996 | Illustrator | Susan Guevara | Chato's Kitchen | Winner | |
| 1996 | Illustrator | Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead | Honor | ||
| 1996 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 1996 | Illustrator | Cuadros de Familia | Honor | ||
| 1998 | Author | Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida | Winner | ||
| 1998 | Author | Spirits of the High Mesa | Honor | ||
| 1998 | Author | Jitomates Risueños y otros poemas de primavera | Honor | ||
| 1998 | Illustrator | Snapshots from the Wedding | Winner | ||
| 1998 | Illustrator | En mi familia | Honor | ||
| 1998 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 1998 | Illustrator | Gathering the Sun: an Alphabet in Spanish and English | Honor | ||
| 2000 | Author | Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba | Winner | ||
| 2000 | Author | Del Ombligo de la Luna y Otro Poemas de Verano | Honor | ||
| 2000 | Author | Laughing out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English and Spanish | Honor | ||
| 2000 | Illustrator | Magic Windows | Winner | ||
| 2000 | Illustrator | Barrio: José's Neighborhood | Honor | ||
| 2000 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2000 | Illustrator | Mama & Papa Have a Store | Honor | ||
| 2002 | Author | Esperanza Rising | Winner | ||
| 2002 | Author | Breaking Through | Honor | ||
| 2002 | Author | Iguanas in the Snow | Honor | ||
| 2002 | Illustrator | Chato and the Party Animals | Winner | ||
| 2002 | Illustrator | Juan Bobo Goes to Work | Honor | ||
| 2004 | Author | Before We Were Free | Winner | ||
| 2004 | Author | Cuba 15 | Honor | ||
| 2004 | Author | Mi Diario de Aquí Hasta Allá | Honor | ||
| 2004 | Illustrator | Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book | Winner | ||
| 2004 | Illustrator | First Day in Grapes | Honor | ||
| 2004 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2004 | Illustrator | Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez | Honor | ||
| 2006 | Author | Winner | |||
| 2006 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2006 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2006 | Author | Becoming Naomi León | Honor | ||
| 2006 | Illustrator | Winner | |||
| 2006 | Illustrator | Arrorró, Mi Niño: Latino Lullabies and Gentle Games | Honor | ||
| 2006 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2006 | Illustrator | Me Llamo Celia: La Vida de Celia Cruz | Honor | ||
| 2008 | Author | Winner | |||
| 2008 | Author | Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale | Honor | ||
| 2008 | Author | Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life! | Honor | ||
| 2008 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2008 | Illustrator | Winner | |||
| 2008 | Illustrator | Me llamo Gabito: la vida de Gabriel García Márquez | Honor | ||
| 2008 | Illustrator | Mis colores, mi mundo | Honor | ||
| 2009 | Author | Winner | |||
| 2009 | Author | Just In Case | Honor | ||
| 2009 | Author | Reaching Out | Honor | ||
| 2009 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2009 | Illustrator | Just In Case | Winner | ||
| 2009 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2009 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2009 | Illustrator | What Can You Do With a Rebozo? | Honor | ||
| 2010 | Author | Return to Sender | Winner | ||
| 2010 | Author | Diego: Bigger Than Life | Honor | ||
| 2010 | Author | Federico García Lorca | Honor | ||
| 2010 | Illustrator | Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros | Winner | ||
| 2010 | Illustrator | Diego: Bigger Than Life | Honor | ||
| 2010 | Illustrator | My Abuelita | Honor | ||
| 2010 | Illustrator | Gracias • Thanks | Honor | ||
| 2011 | Author | Winner | |||
| 2011 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2011 | Author | 90 Miles to Havana | Honor | ||
| 2011 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2011 | Illustrator | Grandma's Gift | Winner | ||
| 2011 | Illustrator | Fiesta Babies | Honor | ||
| 2011 | Illustrator | Me, Frida | Honor | ||
| 2011 | Illustrator | Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin | Honor | ||
| 2012 | Author | Under the Mesquite | Winner | ||
| 2012 | Author | Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck | Honor | ||
| 2012 | Author | Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller | Honor | ||
| 2012 | Illustrator | Diego Rivera: His World and Ours | Winner | ||
| 2012 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2012 | Illustrator | Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match / Marisol McDonald no combina | Honor | ||
| 2013 | Author | Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Winner | ||
| 2013 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2013 | Illustrator | Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert | Winner | ||
| 2014 | Author | Meg Medina | Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass | Winner | |
| 2014 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2014 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2014 | Author | Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale | Honor | ||
| 2014 | Illustrator | Niño Wrestles the World | Winner | ||
| 2014 | Illustrator | Maria Had a Little Llama/María Tenía una Llamita | Honor | ||
| 2014 | Illustrator | Tito Puente: Mambo King/Rey del Mambo | Honor | ||
| 2014 | Illustrator | Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale | Honor | ||
| 2015 | Author | I Lived on Butterfly Hill | Winner | ||
| 2015 | Author | Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes | Honor | ||
| 2015 | Illustrator | Viva Frida | Winner | ||
| 2015 | Illustrator | Green Is a Chile Pepper | Honor | ||
| 2015 | Illustrator | Little Roja Riding Hood | Honor | ||
| 2015 | Illustrator | Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation | Honor | ||
| 2016 | Author | Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir | Winner | ||
| 2016 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2016 | Author | Mango, Abuela, and Me | Honor | ||
| 2016 | Illustrator | Winner | |||
| 2016 | Illustrator | My Tata's Remedies; Los remedios de mi tata | Honor | ||
| 2016 | Illustrator | Mango, Abuela, and Me | Honor | ||
| 2016 | Illustrator | Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras | Honor | ||
| 2017 | Author | Juana & Lucas | Winner | ||
| 2017 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2017 | Illustrator | Lowriders to the Center of the Earth | Winner | ||
| 2017 | Illustrator | Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist | Honor | ||
| 2017 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2018 | Author | Lucky Broken Girl | Winner | ||
| 2018 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2018 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2018 | Illustrator | La Princesa and the Pea | Winner | ||
| 2018 | Illustrator | All Around Us | Honor | ||
| 2018 | Illustrator | Frida Kahlo And Her Animalitos | Honor | ||
| 2019 | Author | Winner | |||
| 2019 | Author | They Call Me Güero | Honor | ||
| 2019 | Illustrator | Dreamers / Soñadores | Winner | ||
| 2019 | Illustrator | When Angels Sing | Honor | ||
| 2019 | Illustrator | Islandborn | Honor | ||
| 2020 | Author | Sal and Gabi Break the Universe | Winner | ||
| 2020 | Author | Honor | |||
| 2020 | Author | Lety Out Loud | Honor | ||
| 2020 | Author | Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré | Honor | ||
| 2020 | Author | Soldier for Equality: José de la Luz Sáenz and the Great War | Honor | ||
| 2020 | Illustrator | Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln | Winner | ||
| 2020 | Illustrator | Across the Bay | Honor | ||
| 2020 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2020 | Illustrator | My Papi Has a Motorcycle | Honor | ||
| 2021 | Children's Author | Efrén Divided | Winner | ||
| 2021 | Children's Author | ' | Honor | ||
| 2021 | Children's Author | Lupe Wong Won't Dance | Honor | ||
| 2021 | Illustrator | Winner | |||
| 2021 | Illustrator | Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello | Honor | ||
| 2021 | Young Adult Author | Furia | Winner | ||
| 2021 | Young Adult Author | Never Look Back | Honor | ||
| 2021 | Young Adult Author | Jenny Torres Sanchez | We Are Not from Here | Honor | |
| 2022 | Children's Author | ' | Winner | ||
| 2022 | Children's Author | Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Children's Author | Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Children's Author | Honor | |||
| 2022 | Illustrator | Winner | |||
| 2022 | Illustrator | Boogie Boogie, Y’all | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Illustrator | May Your Life Be Deliciosa | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Illustrator | Bright Star | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2022 | Young Adult Author | How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe | Winner | ||
| 2022 | Young Adult Author | Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Young Adult Author | Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet | Honor | ||
| 2022 | Young Adult Author | Where I Belong | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Children's Author | Frizzy | Winner | ||
| 2023 | Children's Author | Honor | |||
| 2023 | Children's Author | Honor | |||
| 2023 | Children's Author | Tumble | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Where Wonder Grows | Winner | ||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Honor | |||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Phenomenal AOC: The Roots and Rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Srta. Quinces | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Illustrator | Still Dreaming/Seguimos soñando | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Young Adult Author | Burn Down, Rise Up | Winner | ||
| 2023 | Young Adult Author | Breathe and Count Back from Ten | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Young Adult Author | High Spirits | Honor | ||
| 2023 | Young Adult Author | Honor | |||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir | Winner | ||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Alebrijes | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Aniana del Mar Jumps In | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Benita y las Criaturas Nocturnas | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Children's Author | Something Like Home | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Illustrator | Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir | Winner | ||
| 2024 | Illustrator | Mi papá es un agrícola/My Father, the Farmworker | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Illustrator | Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Illustrator | Remembering | Honor | ||
| 2024 | Young Adult Author | Saints of the Household | Winner | ||
| 2024 | Young Adult Author | Honor | |||
| 2024 | Young Adult Author | Worm: A Cuban American Odyssey | Honor | - | |
| 2025 | Children's Author | Karla Arenas Valenti | Lola | Winner | |
| 2025 | Children's Author | Ashley Granillo | Cruzita and the Mariacheros | Honor | |
| 2025 | Children's Author | Aida Salazar | Ultraviolet | Honor | |
| 2025 | Illustrator | Marcelo Verdad | The Dream Catcher | Winner | |
| 2025 | Illustrator | Tatiana Gardel | Abuelo, the Sea, and Me | Honor | |
| 2025 | Illustrator | Juana Medina | A Maleta Full of Treasures | Honor | |
| 2025 | Young Adult Author | Carolina Ixta | Shut Up, This Is Serious | Winner | |
| 2025 | Young Adult Author | Bessie Flores Zaldívar | Libertad | Honor | |
| 2025 | Young Adult Author | Margarita Engle | Wild Dreamers | Honor |
Recipients of multiple medals and honors
George Ancona, Yuyi Morales, and Duncan Tonatiuh have received medals or honors for their roles as both author and illustrator. Duncan Tonatiuh is the only person to receive multiple awards in one year for two different works.Belpré Medals
One person has won six Belpré Medals:- Yuyi Morales, as illustrator 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2019
- Margarita Engle, as author 2008, 2009, 2016
- Rafael López as illustrator 2010, 2016, 2020
- Raúl Gonzalez, as illustrator 2017, 2021, 2022
Belpré Honors
One person has won eight Belpré Honors:- Duncan Tonatiuh, as illustrator 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, and twice in 2017; as author 2014 and 2020
- David Diaz, as illustrator 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011
- Margarita Engle, as author 2011, 2012, 2014, 2025
- Yuyi Morales, as illustrator 2004, 2010; 2022; as author 2009
- Francisco X. Alarcón, as author 1998, 2000, 2002
- George Ancona, as illustrator 1996, 2000; as author 2011
- Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, as author 2006, 2008, 2010
- Lulu Delacre, as illustrator 1996, 2006, 2009
- Rafael López, as illustrator 2006, 2012, 2014
- John Parra, as illustrator 2010, 2015, 2018
- David Bowles, as author, 2016, 2019, 2024
As author: Juan Felipe Herrera, and Francisco Jiménez as author.
Medal and Honor
Several authors have received both a Belpré Medal and a Belpré Honor:Raúl Colón, David Diaz, Margarita Engle, Carmen Lomas Garza, Susan Guevara, Rafael López, Meg Medina, Yuyi Morales, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Duncan Tonatiuh.