Barbara Cooney
Barbara Cooney (1917-2000) was an influential American author and illustrator, renowned for her contributions to children's literature. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she demonstrated artistic talent from a young age and pursued formal education in art at Smith College. Cooney initially worked illustrating books for other authors before transitioning to writing and illustrating her own, often drawing inspiration from New England folklore and her family's stories. Throughout her career, she became known for the detailed and original style of her illustrations, which earned her critical acclaim and numerous prestigious awards, including two Caldecott Medals for her books "Chanticleer and the Fox" and "Ox-Cart Man."
Cooney's works frequently featured themes of rural life and history, and she traveled widely to enrich her storytelling. Her notable titles include "Miss Rumphius," which won the National Book Award for Hardcover Picture Book, and "Hattie and the Wild Waves," which received the Lupine Award. In recognition of her literary contributions, she received various accolades, including honorary doctorates and the designation of December 12 as Barbara Cooney Day in Maine. Cooney's legacy continues to resonate in the world of children's literature, reflecting her artistry and storytelling prowess.
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Subject Terms
Barbara Cooney
Author
- Born: August 6, 1917
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: March 10, 2000
- Place of death: Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine
Biography
Barbara Cooney was born with her twin brother on August 6, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, at the Hotel Bossert to stockbroker Russell Schenck Cooney and artist Mae Evelyn Bossert Cooney. Her family moved to nearby Long Island when she was two weeks old. Cooney began drawing as a toddler. She studied in a boarding school where classmates admired her artistic talents. Cooney summered at her paternal grandmother’s Maine house.
She enrolled at Smith College at Northampton, Massachusetts, signing up for art history and studio classes. In 1938, Cooney received a bachelor’s of art degree from Smith, planning to illustrate books to earn income. Cooney showed her portfolio to publishers. Hired by Farrar and Rinehart, Cooney improved her craft by learning lithography and etching techniques at New York City’s Art Students League.
After her brothers enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, Cooney signed up with the Women’s Army Corps in 1942, attaining the rank of second lieutenant prior to resigning in order to marry Guy Murchie, a war correspondent. They had one daughter and one son before divorcing in March, 1947. Cooney married her second husband, physician Charles Talbot Porter, on July 16, 1949. They had one son and one daughter and resided in Pepperell, Massachusetts. Cooney died on March 10, 2000, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.
Inspired by her work illustrating books for other authors, Cooney first wrote and illustrated children’s books during the late 1930’s. She adapted and retold folktales and legends. Cooney also created and illustrated books with biographical and historical elements. Her writing and art often incorporated New England and rural motifs. Her family’s stories influenced her work. She traveled in the United States and to Europe, Asia, and Africa to photograph sites and research settings for her work.
Reviewers praised Cooney’s style, originality, and detailed text and illustrations. She received numerous prizes for her books and illustrations. The American Library Association presented Cooney’s picture book Chanticleer and the Fox, its 1959 Caldecott Medal. Cooney received a second Caldecott Medal in 1980, honoring her illustrations in Donald Hall’s picture book Ox-Cart Man. In 1983, the Association of American Publishers presented its National Book Award for Hardcover Picture Book to Cooney’s Miss Rumphius. Her picture book Island Boy was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book in 1989. The next year Cooney’s Hattie and the Wild Waves: A Story From Brooklyn, won the Lupine Award, which the Maine Library Association’s Children’s and Young Adults’ Services Section had established to recognize Cooney.
In 1975, the University of Southern Mississippi presented Cooney its Silver Medallion, and the next year Smith College gave Cooney a medal celebrating her literary achievements. She also received the Kerlan Award in 1992 to honor her children’s literature and illustrations. She received several honorary doctorates. In 1996, Maine Governor Angus King declared Cooney a state treasure, designating December 12 Barbara Cooney Day.