Cicely Tyson

A 2025 NAACP Image Awards Nominee!

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Renée Watson and quilt artist Sherry Shine comes a biography for children chronicling the life of an iconic and trailblazing actress who left an indelible mark on the world through her roles onscreen, from The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman to Sounder, Roots, and more.

Cicely Tyson was born in New York City to parents originally from the Islands. No matter where she was, Cicely always carried light within her, a light that she let shine. After many years of discovering herself, Cicely finally found where her light could shine the brightest and touch others: in film.

Spinning gorgeous verse and weaving in the history of Black America, Watson beautifully introduces children to Cicely's world--the world that shaped a woman who went on to bring unparalleled grace to the stage and screen. Young readers will be inspired by Cicely Tyson's life, and adult fans will marvel at this stunning keepsake.

Perfect for Women's History Month and Black History Month like favorites such as Nina, Ablaze with Color, and A Voice Named Aretha.

Sherry Shine has always loved to draw. She created her first mural at the age of three. She got in trouble for creating the mural on her bedroom wall and then trying to hide it behind some pillows. Since then, the art of Sherry Shine has been exhibited across the country in galleries, colleges, and museums, including Bank Street College, Michigan State University Museum, the Bedford Brooklyn Public Library, and the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. Shine currently resides in Pennsylvania with her family.

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Her young adult novel Piecing Me Together received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her children's picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. Her picture books include A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, Summer Is Here, and The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written with Nikole Hannah-Jones. Renée grew up in Oregon and splits her time between Portland and Harlem.