Picture Book Biographies Featuring Children’s Book Creators
Learn about the spectacular creators behind some of your favorite children’s books in these picture book biographies.
World More Beautiful By Angela Burke Kunkel; illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
This stunning and lyrical picture book biography details the life and art of celebrated children's book creator, Barbara Cooney.
For every kid who loves art, here is the inspirational story of beloved illustrator and two-time Caldecott Medalist, Barbara Cooney.
Barbara was born in a hotel in Brooklyn, with a view of the city and the sea. Her father loved numbers and money. But Barbara and her mother loved art, and color, and light. Barbara’s favorite days were when she stayed home sick in bed and got to paint and draw.
In the summers, they left New York for Maine, where Barbara scrambled among the rocks, wind whipping her hair, light sparkling on the water. Summer was grey, and blue, and green, and free.
When Barbara grew up, she ventured out into the world with an art portfolio—she thought she might like to illustrate books. And she did, creating classics like Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, and Hattie and the Waves.
Her character Miss Rumphius said, you must do something to make the world more beautiful. And that is exactly what Barbara did. It's a message that's sure to inspire young readers and creators today.
Make Way By Angela Burke Kunkel; illustrated by Claire Keane
A beautiful and fascinating picture book biography that follows the lives of Robert McCloskey, creator of Make Way for Ducklings, and sculptor Nancy Schön, whose famous bronze ducks grace Boston Public Garden.
In the beginning, there was a boy named Robert McCloskey, growing up in Ohio, his hands always moving, always creating. Many years later, after attending art school in Boston, he would reflect on his days wandering through Boston Garden and write the classic picture book Make Way for Ducklings.
In the beginning, there was also a girl named Nancy Schön. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, working in her father's greenhouse, twisting wire and boughs into wreaths. Many years later, Nancy would look at Robert's drawings in Make Way for Ducklings and get the seed of an idea. That seed became the beloved bronze sculptures of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings that stand in Boston Garden today.
This stunning and clever picture book biography intertwines the lives of two phenomenal artists--who were contemporaries and friends--and reveals the extraordinary impact they've had on generations of children.
Good Books for Bad Children By Beth Kephart; illustrated by Chloe Bristol
In this lively, lyrical picture book biography, meet the groundbreaking, outspoken, legendary editor of the best-loved books for children, and see how she inspired Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, and others to create Where the Wild Things Are, Good Night Moon, and many more classics.
"Ursula Nordstrom was a grown-up who never forgot what it was to be a child." The girl who'd always loved to read would grow up to work in the Department of Books for Boys and Girls at Harper & Brothers Publishers. Soon she was editing books by Margaret Wise Brown and E. B. White, discovering new talent like John Steptoe and Maurice Sendak, and reinventing what a book for children should be. "Children want to be seen," she'd tell her writers. "Not good enough for you," she'd scribble in the margins of their manuscripts, asking them to revise. Her favorite books of all? "Good books for bad children," she'd say. And those books went on to win every award imaginable, including the Caldecott and Newbery Medals and the National Book Award.
She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein By Lynn Fulton; illustrated by Felicita Sala
A 2018 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books
On the bicentennial of Frankenstein, join Mary Shelley on the night she created the most frightening monster the world has ever seen.
On a stormy night two hundred years ago, a young woman sat in a dark house and dreamed of her life as a writer. She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired.
As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster.
This fascinating story gives readers insight into the tale behind one of the world's most celebrated novels and the creation of an indelible figure that is recognizable to readers of all ages.
"Eye-catching artwork and engaging storytelling give this biography of a fascinating woman even more appeal."--Booklist
