Barbara Cooney (August 6, 1917 – March 10, 2000) was an American writer and illustrator of 110

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

, published over sixty years. She received two

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Servic ...

s for her work on ''

Chanticleer and the Fox Chanticleer and the Fox is a fable that dates from the Middle Ages. Though it can be compared to Aesop's fable of The Fox and the Crow, it is of more recent origin. The story became well known in Europe because of its connection with several po ...

'' (1958) and '' Ox-Cart Man'' (1979), and a

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

for '' Miss Rumphius'' (1982). Her books have been translated into 10 languages. For her contribution as a children's illustrator, Cooney was the U.S. nominee in 1994 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition for creators of children's books.

Life

Cooney was born on 6 August 1917 in Room 1127 of the Hotel Bossert in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, to Russell Schenck Cooney (a stockbroker) and his wife Mae Evelyn Bossert (a painter). She had a twin brother and two younger brothers. Her family moved to Connecticut, where she attended

Buckley Country Day School Buckley Country Day School is an independent, coeducational day school providing elementary and middle education to 330 students in grades toddler through eight in Roslyn, New York State, United States. Buckley was founded in 1923 and opened t ...

and later Boarding School. She started drawing and painting early in life, and was encouraged by her mother but allowed to learn independently. Cooney graduated from Smith College with a history degree, but continued working at art, taking classes on etching and lithography at the Art Students League of New York. She began to make connections in the publishing world. Her first professional illustration was for ''

Ake and His World Bertil Frans Harald Malmberg (13 August 1889 - 11 February 1958) was a Swedish writer, poet, and actor. He was born in Härnösand to Teodor Malmberg and Hanna Roman. Malmberg is the 1956 winner of the Dobloug Prize, a literature prize awarde ...

'' by the Swedish poet

Bertil Malmberg Bertil Frans Harald Malmberg (13 August 1889 - 11 February 1958) was a Swedish writer, poet, and actor. He was born in Härnösand to Teodor Malmberg and Hanna Roman. Malmberg is the 1956 winner of the Dobloug Prize, a literature prize awarde ...

, which was published in 1940, a year after she graduated. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Cooney served in the

Women’s Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an Auxiliaries, auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the U ...

. Soon after her service, she met and married Guy Murchie in 1944. They had two children, Gretel and Barnaby. She later divorced. In July 1949 she married Charles Talbot Porter; they had two children together: Phoebe and Charlie Porter. Cooney had continued her illustration work. In 1959, she won the Caldecott Medal for ''

'', writing and illustrating her version of the fable, "

." This was developed by

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

in his "

The Nun's Priest's Tale "The Nun's Priest's Tale" (Middle English: ''The Nonnes Preestes Tale of the Cok and Hen, Chauntecleer and Pertelote'') is one of '' The Canterbury Tales'' by the Middle English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Composed in the 1390s, it is a beast fabl ...

." Beginning in her 40s, Cooney frequently traveled, gaining inspiration for illustrations and her writing. At home, she lived in

Damariscotta, Maine Damariscotta (/ dæmrɪˈskɒtə/ ) is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2020 census. Damariscotta is the oyster capital of New England. A popular tourist destination, the towns of Damariscotta and N ...

, in a house built for her by one of her sons. Among her many books, Cooney illustrated '' Ox-Cart Man'' (1980), written by American poet

Donald Hall Donald Andrew Hall Jr. (September 20, 1928 – June 23, 2018) was an American poet, writer, editor and literary critic. He was the author of over 50 books across several genres from children's literature, biography, memoir, essays, and includin ...

, for which she received her second Caldecott Medal. In 1975, she illustrated ''

When the Sky is Like Lace When may refer to: * When?, one of the Five Ws, questions used in journalism * WHEN (AM), an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Syracuse, New York * WHEN-TV, the former call letters of TV station WTVH in Syracuse, New York Music * When (b ...

''. Written by Elinor Lander Horwitz, the book was selected as a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Outstanding Book of the Year. With her book '' Miss Rumphius'' (1983), which she wrote and illustrated, she won the National Book Award in category Picture Books. That year

William Steig William Steig (November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book '' Shrek!'', which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that i ...

and his '' Doctor De Soto'' also shared the award. In 1996, Maine Governor Angus King honored Cooney by proclaiming a day in her name as "Barbara Cooney Day". Her last book, '' Basket Moon'' (2000), was published six months before her death at home in Damariscotta on March 10, 2000. Portions of her original artwork are being displayed at Bowdoin College in Maine.

Style

Throughout her career, Cooney used a variety of techniques, preferring pen and ink, acrylic paints, and pastels. Her illustrations are often described as

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative. The makers of folk art are typically tr ...

. She most often chose folk stories to illustrate. While many of her books were in black and white, her "heart and soul are in color".

Quotes

*On her mother:

"She gave me all the materials I could wish for and then left me alone, didn’t smother me with instruction. Not that I ever took instruction very easily. My favorite days were when I had a cold and could stay home from school and draw all day long.... She was an enthusiastic painter of oils and watercolors. She was also very generous. I could mess with her paints and brushes all I wanted. On one condition: that I kept my brushes clean. The only art lesson my mother gave me was how to wash my brushes. Otherwise, she left me alone."

*On Smith College and her art: "I have felt way behind technically; and what I’ve learned I have had to teach myself. To this day, I don’t consider myself a very skillful artist." *On her travels and learning the spirit of place:

“It was not until I was in my forties, in the fifth decade of my life, that the sense of place, the spirit of place, became of paramount importance to me. It was then that I began my travels, that I discovered, through photography, the quality of light, and that I gradually became able to paint the mood of place.”

*On receiving the Caldecott Medal in 1959:

"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."

*On her favorite works: "Of all the books I have done, 'Miss Rumphius,' 'Island Boy,' and 'Hattie and the Wild Waves,' are the closest to my heart. These three are as near as I ever will come to an autobiography".

Books illustrated

* ''

'', by

924, Swedish 1940 * '' Uncle Snowball'', 1940 * '' The King of Wreck Island'', 1941 * '' The Kellyhorns'', 1942 * '' Captain Pottle's House'', 1943 * '' Shooting Star Farm'', 1946 * '' American Folk Songs for Children'', by

Ruth Crawford Seeger Ruth Crawford Seeger (born Ruth Porter Crawford; July 3, 1901 – November 18, 1953) was an American composer and folk music specialist. Her music was a prominent exponent of the emerging modernist aesthetic and she became a central member of a g ...

, 1948 * '' Just Plain Maggie'', 1948 * '' The Best Christmas'', 1949 * ''

Kildee House ''Kildee House'' is a children's novel by Rutherford George Montgomery. It tells the story of a house in a redwood forest which becomes a refuge for wildlife. The novel was first published in 1949 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1950. It is i ...

'', by Rutherford George Montgomery, 1949 * '' Best Christmas'', 1949 * '' Animal Folk Songs for Children'',

, 1950 * '' The Man Who Didn't Wash His Dishes'', 1950 * '' Read Me More Stories'', 1951 * '' The Pony That Ran Away'', 1951 * '' The Pony That Kept a Secret'', 1952 * '' Too Many Pets'', 1952 * '' Yours with Love, Kate'', by Miriam Mason, 1952 * '' Christmas in the Barn'', 1952 * '' Where Have You Been?'', 1952 * '' American Folk Songs for Christmas'', by

, 1953 * ''

Five Little Peppers ''The Five Little Peppers'' is a book series created by American author Margaret Sidney which was published 1881 to 1916. It covers the lives of the five children in their native state and develops with their rescue by a wealthy gentleman who tak ...

'' (

Margaret Sidney Harriett Lothrop was an American author also known by her pseudonym Margaret Sidney (June 22, 1844 – August 2, 1924). In addition to writing popular children's stories, she ran her husband Daniel Lothrop's publishing company after his death. ...

?), 1954 * '' The Little Fir Tree'', by Margaret Wise Brown, 1954 * '' Little Women'', by Louisa May Alcott 868–69 1955 * '' City Springtime'', 1957 * '' Freckle Face'', 1957 * ''

'', from

, adapted by Cooney, 1958 * '' The American Speller'', 1961 * '' The Little Juggler'', 1961 * '' Le Hibou et La Poussiquette'', poem by Edward Lear

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translation by

Francis Steegmuller Francis Steegmuller (July 3, 1906 – October 20, 1994) was an American biographer, translator and fiction writer, who was known chiefly as a Flaubert scholar. Life and career Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Steegmuller graduated from Columbia Un ...

, 1961 * '' Favorite Fairy Tales Told in Spain'', 1963 * '' Wynken, Blynken and Nod'', poem by

Eugene Field Eugene Field Sr. (September 2, 1850 – November 4, 1895) was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. He was known as the "poet of childhood". Early life and education Field was born in St. Louis, Missour ...

889 1964 * '' Papillot, Clignot et Dodo'', poem by

889 translation by

and

Norbert Guterman Norbert Guterman (1900–1984) was a scholar, and translator of scholarly and literary works from French, Polish and Latin into English. His translations were remarkable for their range of subject matter and high quality. Born in Warsaw, Guterman ...

, 1964 * '' Mother Goose in French'', translations by Hugh Latham, 1964 * '' The Courtship, Merry Marriage, and Feast of Cock Robin and Jenny Wren'', 1965 * '' Snow White and Rose Red'', based on

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

erman Erman Rašiti may refer to: Given name * Erman Bulucu (born 1989), Turkish footballer * Erman Eltemur (born 1993), Turkish karateka * Erman Güraçar (born 1974), Turkish footballer * Erman Kılıç (born 1983), Turkish footballer * Erman Kunter (b ...

1966 * '' How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem'', 1966 * '' A Little Prayer'', 1967 * ''

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

'', 1967 * '' The Crows of Pearblossom'', by

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

, 1967 * '' A Garland of Games and Other Diversions'', 1969 * ''

The Owl and the Pussycat "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1870 in the American magazine '' Our Young Folks: an Illustrated Magazine for Boys and Girls'' and again the following year in Lear's own book ''Nonsense Songs, S ...

'', poem by Edward Lear

1969 * ''

Bambi, a Life in the Woods ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' (German title: ''Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde'') is a 1923 Austrian coming-of-age novel written by Felix Salten and originally published in Berlin by Ullstein Verlag. The novel traces the life of Bambi ...

'', by

Felix Salten Felix Salten (; 6 September 1869 – 8 October 1945) was an Austro-Hungarian author and literary critic in Vienna. Life and death Salten was born Siegmund Salzmann on 6 September 1869 in Pest, Austria-Hungary. His father was Fülöp Salzmann, t ...

923, German 1970 * '' Princess Tales'', 1971 * '' Seven Little Rabbits'', 1972 * " Squawk to the Moon, Little Goose", by Edna Mitchell Preston, 1974 * '' Herman the Great'', 1974 * '' Favourite Fairy Tales Told in Spain'', retold by

Virginia Haviland Virginia Haviland (May 21, 1911 – January 6, 1988) was an American librarian and writer who became an international authority in children's literature. She chaired the prestigious Newbery-Caldecott Award Committee, traveled and wrote extensivel ...

, 1974 * ''

'', written by Elinor Lander Horwitz, a

Outstanding Book of the Year, 1975. Reissued 2015 * ''Burton and Dudley'', by Marjorie W. Sharmat, 1975 * '' The Donkey Prince'', 1977 * ''Midsummer magic: a garland of stories, charms, and recipes'', compiled by Ellin Greene, 1977 * '' Ox-Cart Man'', poem by

, 1979 * '' I Am Cherry Alive, the Little Girl Sang'', poem by

Delmore Schwartz Delmore Schwartz (December 8, 1913 – July 11, 1966) was an American poet and short story writer. Early life Schwartz was born in 1913 in Brooklyn, New York, where he also grew up. His parents, Harry and Rose, both Romanian Jews, separated when ...

, 1979 * '' Emma'', 1980 * ''Tortillitas Para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes'', selected and translated by Margot C. Griego, 1981 * '' Little Brother and Little Sister'', based on

1982 * '' Miss Rumphius'', by Cooney, 1982 * '' Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity'', 1984 * '' The Story of Holly and Ivy'', by

Rumer Godden Margaret Rumer Godden (10 December 1907 – 8 November 1998) was an English author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably ''Black Narcissus'' in 1947 and '' The River'' in ...

958 Year 958 ( CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantines under John Tzimiskes ...

1985 * '' Peter and the Wolf Pop-Up Book'', 1986 * '' Louhi, Witch of North Farm: A Story From Finland's Epic Poem 'The Kalevala''', 1986 * '' Island Boy'', by Cooney, 1988 * '' The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree'', by Gloria Houston, 1988 * '' Hattie and the Wild Waves: A story of Brooklyn'', 1990 * '' The Big Book for Peace'', by

John Bierhorst John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, 1990 * '' Roxaboxen'', by Alice McLerran, 1991 * '' Letting Swift River Go'', by

Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 350 books, of which the best known is ''The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. He ...

, 1991 * '' Emily'', by Michael Bedard, 1992 – historical fiction based on

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

* '' The Remarkable Christmas of the Cobbler's Sons'', 1994 * '' Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl'', based on the diary of

Opal Whiteley Opal Irene Whiteley (December 11, 1897 – February 16, 1992) was an American nature writer and diarist whose childhood journal was first published in 1920 as ''The Story of Opal'' in serialized form in the ''Atlantic Monthly'', then later that ...

, 1994 * ''

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

'', 1996 – childhood biography of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

* '' Basket Moon'', by Mary Lyn Ray, 1999 – Cooney's last book

References

External links

Barbara Cooney Papers
Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center, University of Connecticut

*
Interview with Barbara Cooney
''All About Kids! TV Series'' #113 (1992) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooney, Barbara 1917 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American women artists American children's writers American women illustrators Women's Army Corps soldiers Art Students League of New York alumni Caldecott Medal winners American children's book illustrators National Book Award for Young People's Literature winners Buckley Country Day School alumni People from Damariscotta, Maine Writers from New York City Smith College alumni