Patricia RollinsJuly 19, 2022
New York, NY, July 19, 2022 – Reach Out and Read of Greater NY, the 501(3)c nonprofit that incorporates books into pediatric care and encourages families to read aloud together, announced today the winner of the Mills Tannenbaum Award for Children’s Literacy — Aram Kim, writer, illustrator, and designer of children’s picture books.
The Mills Tannenbaum Award for Children’s Literacy has been given annually since 2013 to a children’s book author or illustrator who is dedicated to promoting a lifelong love of reading in young children.
The award was created in honor of Gary Tannenbaum and Helen Mills, who are long-time advocates of children’s literacy in New York and dedicated supporters of the Reach Out and Read of Greater New York early literacy program.
Aram Kim is an author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books. She was born in Ohio, grew up in South Korea, and now lives in New York, happily surrounded by diverse food and culture.
She grew up surrounded by books, and always loved stories. As a child, Aram used to write and illustrate her own stories in notebooks. Since she moved to NYC to attend the School of Visual Arts, and obtained the B.F.A. in Illustration and the M.F.A. in Illustration as Visual Essay program, Aram wrote and illustrated several books. Her debut picture book Cat on the Bus was called a “beautifully designed visual work” by School Library Journal and included in the Children’s Choice Reading List 2017 by ILA/CBC, as well as New York Public Library’s summer reading list 2018. No Kimchi For Me!, about family, food, intergenerational connections, has universal themes, and at the same time celebrates Korean culture. It was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2018, and 2018 A Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy by The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Its sequel Let’s Go to Taekwondo! (Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2021), and the follow-up book Sunday Funday in Koreatown (Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection) are included in the popular Yoomi, Friends and Family series that explores universal themes for children while taking place in a world of Korean American life. Aram’s next book, Tomorrow is New Year’s Day, is scheduled to be published in December 2022. It’s about Seollal, a Korean celebration of the Lunar New Year. Aram made this book inspired by many Korean American families she saw and met who go to children’s schools to share their cultures on Seollal.
Aram strongly believes that every child is a writer and an artist. As an author/illustrator of children’s books, her favorite thing to do is to meet children at schools and libraries to talk about book making and stories. Seeing children’s eyes light up, answering their questions, and listening to their stories children share, are the most satisfying part of being an author/illustrator of children’s books and Aram wishes to continue this journey for many years to come.
Find more about Aram at AramKim.com.
About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. We provide books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read programs in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. The program is built on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure. Our program is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, peer reviewed research studies. Studies were published in renowned journals including Clinical Pediatrics, Journal of the National Medical Association, and Pediatrics. Follow RORGNY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org.
Media Contact:
Kari Kurjiaka