World More Beautiful by Angela Burke Kunkel

World More Beautiful brings to life the world and art of Barbara Cooney, creator of beloved picture book classics like Roxaboxen and Miss Rumphius.

World More Beautiful: The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney by Angela Burke Kunkel and illustrated by Becca Stadtlander. Random House, 2024, 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-10

Barbara Cooney and her twin brother were born in 1917. Like her father, her brother liked ships and machines. Like her mother, Barbara liked paint and colors. Encouraged by her mother, Barbara paints and draws throughout her childhood.

As an adult, with young mouths to feed, Barbara looks for publishers who will pay her to write and illustrate books. As with most illustrators, publication is a bumpy road for Barbara. But she perseveres and takes inspiration from her surroundings. She won a Caldecott for one of my favorites of hers: Chanticleer and the Fox. I didn’t realize, before reading this picture book biography, that she took inspiration from her own rooster.

Stadtlander’s illustrations really make this book come alive. The text is present tense, reading much like a story (not a biography), it’s the illustrations that will bring Cooney alive for readers (and viewers/listeners). Those who are familiar with Cooney’s art will recognize similar palettes and styles throughout this volume. End matter includes a nice summary of Cooney’s life, including her books. Most of her books are left out of the story text.

Bottom Line: A beautifully illustrated tribute to Barbara Cooney and the adventures that inspired this beloved illustrator.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Another lovely picture book biography of Barbara Cooney came out this year! See Because Barbara by Sarah Mackenzie for a perfect companion read; the two books offer very different experiences and will fill in different parts of Cooney’s life.
• Review: Read our starred review of Angela Burke Kunkel’s Make Way, about Robert McCloskey.
• Reviews: Other reviews of picture book biographies of children’s authors (not by Kunkel) on Redeemed Reader include Just Like Beverly (about Beverly Cleary) and It Began With a Page (about Gyo Fujikawa).

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