Raúl Colón

Raúl Colón is an award-winning illustrator of more than thirty children's books by authors such as Pat Mora, Frank McCourt, Dr. Jill Biden, and Margarita Engle. Raúl's work has also appeared in The New York Times and can be seen in an MTA mural at the 191st Street subway station in New York City.

In this interview with Colorín Colorado, Raúl talks about drawing as a child, influences on his artistic style (including Spider-Man!), the inspiration behind his illustrations, and the role of the arts in schools.

Note: Excerpts from this interview are also available on YouTube.

Biography

Colón was born in New York City in December of 1952 and moved with his parents in the 1960s to Caguas, Puerto Rico where he studied commercial art. In 1978 Colón made Florida his home, working at an educational television center designing everything from puppets to short animated films. In 1988 the artist settled with his family in New City, New York and began a freelance career. Today, Colón continues to be a versatile and acclaimed illustrator whose work has appeared in important national publications. The industry has recognized Colón with a Golden Kite Award, a Pura Belpré Award, and both a gold and silver medal in The Original Art show.

Read the complete biography of Colón on the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature website.