Leonard Jenkins comes from a family of eight children, and as a boy he wanted to set himself apart in some way. Because he was "obsessed with drawing," he made his mark through his art. He now likes to encourage kids who share his enthusiasm for drawing and painting. He has taught art to children at an after-school program in New York City and also teaches painting at New York's School of Visual Arts.

Jenkins created advertising art before he got the opportunity to illustrate children's books. When a friend of his wrote a book, Jenkins did a sample illustration for it. Some editors liked the illustration and asked Jenkins if he'd like to illustrate another book, MAYFIELD CROSSING, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. This became his first published book.

Books by Leonard Jenkins

I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Written by Walter Dean Myers, Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins - Biography, Children's, Children's Nonfiction, History