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.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Random House Studio, August 2024

• Coming soon

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 Public 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.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Random House Studio, April 2023

• Kirkus Starred Review
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• Betsy Bird’s 2023 Unique Biographies for Kids
• SCBWI Golden Kite Award Finalist
• CCBC Choice for 2024

“A wonderful picture book about creativity and collaboration”
-Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

“Burke Kunkel renders a genuinely suspenseful and touching account of Schön delicately approaching McCloskey with the idea of memorializing his book’s characters.”
-Publishers Weekly (Starred)

“This beguiling account opens with simple statements that feel like both encouragement and elegy. Ms. Keane’s retro pictures here have wonderful color and ebullience, bringing liveliness even to static scenes (of quiet thought, of patient studio work) and acting as a visual reminder of the exciting potentialities of invention.”
–Wall Street Journal

A lyrical picture book exploration of emperor penguins’ incredible journey to parenthood, with stunning watercolor art.

This young picture book is about the incredible lengths to which emperor penguins go for their young ones. Angela Burke Kunkel’s lyrical text and Catherine Odell’s gorgeous illustrations detail the penguins’ amazing journey, and an author’s note and bibliography provide added context.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Abrams Appleseed, October 2021

• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• CCBC Choices 2022, Cooperative Children’s Books Center, UW-Madison
• “Oceans of Possibilities” Summer Reading Program
• PBS CampTV Selection

“Perfect for group storytime and discussion . . . An object lesson in less is more.”
-Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

“The simple text has a very rhythmic and rhyming feel that will appeal to the youngest readers. “
-YABooksCentral

“Rendered in verse and accompanied by excellent watercolor paintings, it is easy for the youngest child to understand what a penguin’s life is like.”
-Denton Record-Chronicle

A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.

In the city of Bogotá, in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria, there live two Josés. One is a boy who dreams of Saturdays– that’s the day he gets to visit Paradise, the library. The second José is a garbage collector. From dusk until dawn, he scans the sidewalks as he drives, squinting in the dim light, searching household trash for hidden treasure . . . books! Some are stacked in neat piles, as if waiting for José. Others take a bit more digging. Ever since he found his first book, Anna Karenina, years earlier, he’s been collecting books–thick ones and thin ones, worn ones and almost new ones– to add to the collection in his home. And on Saturdays, kids like little José run to the steps of Paradise to discover a world filled with books and wonder.

With an evocative text by a debut author, and rich, stunning illustrations from an up-and-coming Colombian illustrator, here is a celebration of perseverance, community, and the power of books.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Random House/Schwartz and Wade, September 2020

• Fall 2020 Junior Library Guild Selection, Multicultural Elementary, Grades 2-6
• Fall 2020 Children’s Book Council Showcase, Spanish Language Books
• 2020 Nominee for Nonfiction, Cybils Awards
• Best Picture Book Biography of 2020 and Best Picture Books of 2020, Kirkus Reviews
• Best Picture Books of 2020, Chicago Public Library
• Best Spanish Children’s Books List of 2021, Ages 5-9, Biography and Memoir, Bank Street College of Education
• Best Children’s Books of 2021, Ages 5-9, Biography and Memoir, Bank Street College of Education
• Notable Children’s Books of 2021, Association of Library Service to Children
• 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Children’s Book Council
• CCBC Choices 2021, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, UW-Madison
• Tejas Star Reading List selection, 2021-2022
• Día Booklist selection, 2021
• Américas Book Award, 2021
• International Latino Book Award Gold Medal Winner for Best Picture Book-English, 2021
• Donna Norvell Book Award nominee, 2022
• Michigan Reading Association Great Lakes Great Books Award nominee, 2022-2023
• Nutmeg Book Award nominee, 2023
• Prix UNICEF de Littérature Jeunesse, 2023
• Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
• School Library Journal Starred Review

“The inspiring story of a man who believes in the power of books and the importance of community.”
-Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

“An inviting and generous story that will be a pleasure to read aloud.”
-School Library Journal (Starred)

“This amiable picture book offers children glimpses of Colombia as well as a role model who values books and enjoys sharing them with others. Sprinkled with a few Spanish words, Kunkel’s concise text is effective in weaving a story around the man’s life.”
-Booklist

“. . . this moving tale details the power and pleasure of books . . . Kunkel absorbs readers with graceful prose that seamlessly incorporates Spanish.”
-Publisher’s Weekly

“This debut picture book extols the power of stories and children’s right to access them . . . Based on Gutiérrez’s life, this imaginative interpretation of his legacy is librarian catnip and will be enjoyed by young readers.”
-School Library Journal, “Latinx Luminaries”

“Kunkel’s implied metaphor — one person’s trash is another’s treasure — neatly structures this picture-book biography.”
-The Horn Book

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

School Book Club

• Junior Library Guild

Educational Reprint

• Scholastic Inc.

Foreign

• Chinese (simplified): Beijing Yutian Hangfeng Book Co. 
• French: Elcy Editions