There are many kinds of wonderful picture books. But my favorite, has always been the kind that invites me into a beautiful world that is lush with color, alive with whimsy, and still grounded in something substantial and firm. Because Barbara by Sarah Mackenzie and illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen is just such a book.
Anyone who has ever listened to Sarah Mackenzie speak or has followed the Read Aloud Revival podcast cannot be unaware of Sarah’s well-placed love of Barbara Cooney’s storytelling and illustration. This beautiful picture book biography does honor to Cooney and her legacy. Mackenzie captures some of the magic that is Barbara Cooney and invites us in so we can love her too.
In this charming biography, we learn, on the very first page, that Barbara Cooney was an observer. In fact, “Barbara noticed everything.” And then we learn of her struggle to learn how to capture those observations and make them come alive on the page.
At first, Barbara had to convince the publishers to print her work in color, and the test for that was to first print books with only black-and-white images to see if people would buy her stories and illustrations. They did.
“This time, the beauty Barbara held inside her did show up on the page. This time, her publisher agreed to print her art in color.”
Such beautiful stories she told, resplendent with full-color illustrations that jumped off the page!
Not only do we get the story of her journey as an author and artist, but we also learn about her life as a mother and a friend of libraries. Her story, told by Mackenzie, is a joy to read. And, the illustration is pure magic.
Eileen Ryan Ewen’s art is full of movement and layers. The colors are vibrant and joyful. The illustration blends a bit of realism with whimsy and invites the reader to both see and imagine.
After the story is told, we are treated to six pages of background information about Cooney and the books she published including photos of Cooney at different ages and in different stages of her career.
If you love Barbara Cooney, this book is for you. If you love picture book biographies, this book is not to be missed. If you love a beautiful picture book that feeds the imagination and the heart, then you will love this 48-page picture book for readers young and old.
Becoming Barbara will be available from Waxwing Books in May 2024. You can pre-order now.