New children’s book with Huntsville roots wins NAACP image award
Reading time: 2 minutes
Published early last year, children’s book Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark recently won a NAACP image award! The book was written by Allen R. Wells and illustrated by Deandra Hodge (more on her later).
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual ceremony that celebrates outstanding acomplishments by people of color in film, television, literature, music and social justice.
The book highlights the life of Yvonne Clark, who was a trailblazer in many ways. She was the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Howard University—as well as the first woman to earn a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Vanderbilt University.
She also worked in Huntsville, where she helped solve hotspot issues with our beloved Saturn V rocket.
More about the illustrator
DeAndra Hodge has been illustrating books for five years now. Coincidentally, this was the first picture book she ever illustrated. Talk about making an entrance!
She moved to Huntsville at age 11, where she lived until attending the University of Montevallo. She doesn’t call Huntsville home anymore, but she makes frequent visits to see her family and friends. Her favorite thing about the city is how everything is space-themed! 🚀
Her passion is working on books that teach children about inspirational people, culture and the importance of community. Make sure to congratulate DeAndra if you see her!
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