Tulsa City-County Library to honor Yuyi Morales with 2026 Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts

Aug. 25, 2026

  Tulsa, OK --- Tulsa City-County Library and the Hispanic Resource Center will honor Yuyi Morales with the Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road. The ceremony will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon and will feature a presentation from Morales on her life and writings with a book signing to follow.

  Morales is a six-time Pura Belpré Award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Her most recent title, “Little Rebels,” a mixed-media picture book that encourages creativity and community, earned the 2025 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award. Her 2021 book “Bright Star” is a tale of perseverance and growth that highlights the landscape of the Mexico-United States border. The New York Times Bestseller “Dreamers” is the illustrated memoir of the author’s immigration to the U.S. and how she found wonder and community in the library.

   Born in Xalapa, Mexico, in 1968, Morales grew up in an environment of creative resourcefulness, where she was introduced to art at an early age. She studied psychology and physical education in Veracruz at La Universidad Veracruzana. In 1994, Morales and her infant son moved to the United States with her husband, Tim. Through this transition, Morales found the public library, which became a new home. After settling, Morales developed a love of storytelling that includes sharing the fantastical adventures of Mexican folklore from her youth.

   Given biennially by the Tulsa Library Trust and TCCL’s Hispanic Resource Center, The Hummingbird Award in Literary Arts, also known as the “Premio Colibrí en Arte Literaria,” honors and recognizes a nationally prominent author, poet or artist whose work has elevated and affirmed the voice of the Latinx community. The award consists of an engraved plaque and a $15,000 cash prize.

   The Hispanic Resource Center, located at Martin Regional Library, was established in 1999 to provide resources for Tulsa County’s growing Hispanic community. Throughout the year, the center provides cultural, informational and educational resources, as well as activities and services for both Spanish- and English-speaking families.

   For more information on TCCL’s programming and services, call 918-549-7323, or visit www.tulsalibrary.org.

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