The Book Basket's Author Feature: Barbara Cooney

Good books to share in May

Hello friends,

This month we’re covering a legend in children’s literature circles, the late Barbara Cooney. During her lifetime, Mrs. Cooney worked on over one hundred and ten children’s books. She was a gifted storyteller and artist. You will no doubt recognize some titles below, but I’ve tried to include some lesser-known ones as well.

"I believe that children in this country need a more robust literary diet than they are getting... It does not hurt them to read about good and evil, love and hate, life and death. Nor do I think they should read only about things that they understand.... a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. So should a child’s. For myself, I will never talk down to—or draw down to—children." (from her Caldecott Medal reception in 1959, for the book Chanticleer and the Fox)

Keep an eye out for a coming biography of Barbara Cooney, Because Barbara, published by Waxwing Press. This book is written by Read-Aloud Revival’s Sarah Mackenzie and illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen. It is due to be released in June.

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The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, written by Barbara Houston- This book has a treasured spot in our Christmas collection. Ruthie and her mom bravely undertake a celebration of Christmas without Ruthie’s dad, who is away fighting in World War I. The story is set in the Appalachian mountain community of Pine Grove, North Carolina.

Miss Rumphius- Cooney wrote and illustrated this book. Miss Rumphius is sometimes called “The Lupine Lady,” because she made it her business to “do one thing to make the world more beautiful.” If you add one of these books to your collection, this is the one to choose. Cooney won the National Book Award for the title in 1983.

Eleanor- “From the beginning the baby was a disappointment to her mother. She was born red and wrinkled, an ugly little thing. And she was not a boy.” So begins this biography of one of America’s treasured first ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt. The book covers just the beginning of Eleanor’s life into adulthood.

Ox-Cart Man- Here we’ve arrived at the other classic on this list. This is a Caldecott medal winner. I covered it on this list of autumn classics, but since it covers the full year, it’s good for any time!

How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem- written by Norma Farber, here’s another Christmas selection. The story tells of how animals in hibernation are awakened out of their sleep by a singing star. They make their way to Bethlehem, where they find the Christ-child.

Roxaboxen- written by Alice McLerran. This story of a magical land in children’s imaginations is based on a real place where the author’s mother used to play. It’s a celebration of make-believe play; the children establish a fictional town called Roxaboxen and carry out long days of play there. Wonderful.

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A note on purchase links: I’m a happy supporter of independent bookshops, so the links I provide will almost always go to my affiliate link at bookshop.org. For my local readers, I heartily recommend you buy them through our favorite, Goldberry Books, but you might have a shop closer to you. Of course, you can always find these selections on That Big Website That Ships Quickly, But Not As Quickly as It Used To, and Remember How They Sucked Us All In By Being a Bookstore to Begin With? I’m also a big fan of saving money and patronizing your local library. Happy reading!