This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first Coretta Scott King Book Award, which encourages "the artistic expression of the black experience via literature and the graphic arts." The award, which began honoring illustrators in 1974, added the John Steptoe Award for New Talent in 1995. No doubt, past King award winners like Sharon Flake, Jerry Pinkney, Kadir Nelson, and Sharon Draper have all benefited from the honor, but more important, books stamped with the Coretta Scott King seals--bronze and black for winners and pewter and black for honor books--have often had a lasting impact on children's lives. This article describes how these Coretta Scott King Award-winning books have touched kids' lives in surprising ways.