Category Archives: Oklahoma Illustrator

ODL News, Oklahoma Author, Oklahoma Illustrator

Oklahoma’s Reading Roundup Corrals Thousands of Participants

Artist and book illustrator Christopher Nick entertains students in Okeene.


More than 16,000 children, teens, teachers, librarians, parents, and library friends participated during the state’s four-year Reading Roundup Author Tour, which held its finale in Hennessey on September 25. Almost 3,700 people attended this fall’s tours featuring author Lutricia Clifton (Seeking Cassandra) and illustrator Christopher Nick (Dust Storm).

Conceived in 2015, the “DoubleR” tour was inspired by a grant from the Reading Trust that helped place recent Oklahoma Book Award-winning children’s and young adult titles in all of the state’s public libraries.

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries and its Oklahoma Center for the Book (OCB) approached the Friends of the Center, Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO), and other sponsors to fund tours of the authors and illustrators of those books each fall from 2015 to 2018.

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Oklahoma Author, Oklahoma Illustrator

The 2018 DoubleR Author Tour Kicks Off September

2018 DoubleR Author Tour graphic featuring Lutricia Clifton and Christopher Nick

Oklahoma’s Fourth DoubleR (Reading Roundup) Author Tour happens across the state this September. Ten communities in Oklahoma will host one of this year’s presenters: Young Adult author Lutricia Clifton, or artist/book illustrator Christopher  Nick.

In addition to presenting public programs at community libraries, the author and illustrator will also present at area schools.

Keep track of the schedule and find out more about this year’s presenters! Click the links below to read our interviews with these creative folk:

Q&A with Lutricia Clifton

Q&A with Christopher Nick

Oklahoma Illustrator

Meet Reading Roundup Illustrator Christopher Nick

Illustrator Christopher NickArtist Christopher Nick joins the 2018 DoubleR Author Tour on September 11 with a presentation in Okenee. He’ll also be making appearances in Woodward, Apache, Marlow, and Hennessey during the month.

Nick illustrated Dust Storm, the 2017 Oklahoma Book Award-winning Children’s title. He has also illustrated other children’s books, including D-Day: American Character, A Story from World War II, and The Room in My Heart.

If you’ve ever toured the Oklahoma State Capitol, chances are good you’ve come across Nick’s work. The prolific artist has eight paintings in the building, including portraits of Governor Abraham Seay, Territorial Governor George Steele, architect Solomon Layton, and Chickasaw aviator Eula Pearl Carter Scott. In 2009, he unveiled his painting of the USS Oklahoma Memorial in the Oklahoma Senate Chamber.

Nick has also enjoyed success as a commercial illustrator for a variety of products, and he still finds time to serve as a teaching artist through the Oklahoma Arts Council.

To set the stage for his Reading Roundup debut, we asked him a few questions.

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Oklahoma Author, Oklahoma Illustrator

Meet Reading Roundup Author Hannah Harrison

harrisonAda Children’s author and illustrator Hannah E. Harrison joins this year’s DoubleR Author Tour on October 18 in Tishomingo. Harrison, who received the 2015 Oklahoma Book Award in Illustration for the book Extraordinary Jane, will be visiting schools and public libraries in Tishomingo, Antlers, Stratford, Duncan, and Pauls Valley during her two weeks on the road.

In addition to her Oklahoma Book Award win for Jane, she was also a 2016 finalist in the children’s category for Bernice Gets Carried Away. Both books, plus her latest—My Friend Maggie—will be available for sale at all of her DoubleR events.

Prior to her Reading Roundup debut, we had a chance to talk with Harrison about her illustrative art, her writing, and how the two fit together.

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