Book Review of Because Barbara
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The Children’s Book Review
Because Barbara
Written by Sarah Mackenzie
Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen
Ages: 4-6 | 48 Pages
Publisher: Waxwing (2024) | ISBN-13: 9781956393040
What to Expect: Painting, travel, nature, beauty, determination, family, and biography.
Barbara Cooney saw her mother painting as a little girl, and wanted very much to be able to make the world beautiful the way her mother did. Because Barbara did everything she set her mind to, she dedicated the rest of her life learning to bring beauty into the world—through painting, and through the family and community she built around her. Her hard work paid off, and she became an award-winning illustrator, travelling the world and painting the magical places she saw. However, she always returned home again, to where children, and seaside, and picnics were waiting for her.
This biography of the Caldecott-winning illustrator Barbara Cooney tells the story of Barbara’s life-long search for beauty through painting. Although it describes her struggle to become a recognized artist, the emphasis of the narrative is on both her determination to grow and improve and on the elements of her life and personality that enabled her to create such beautiful pictures. The message from the story is clear: one becomes a great artist by living and experiencing life fully, not through dwelling on problems and setbacks. Beautiful, softly colored illustrations fill each page, complementing the story’s emphasis on the intersection between real-world beauty and magical imagination.
Because Barbara is a lovely, inspirational biography with an empowering growth-mindset message.
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About the Author
Sarah Mackenzie (readaloudrevival.com) is an enthusiastic reader of picture books and host of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast. She lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and six kids, where she homeschools, reads aloud, and collects every book by Barbara Cooney that she can get her hands on.
About the Illustrator
Eileen Ryan Ewen (eileenryanewen.com) is a freelance artist with a background in Fine Arts and Creative Writing. After spending years painting portraits, she decided to delve headfirst into children’s book art and hasn’t looked back since. Eileen lives in Cleveland Heights, OH, with her husband, four young children, and two very old cats.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Because Barbara. Learn more about getting a book review …
