Remembering Floyd Cooper

I met Floyd Cooper one time, in 2015. We were seated next to each other at a dinner hosted by Lee & Low books during the American Library Association annual conference.

Floyd’s book Ira’s Shakespeare Dream had just come out and he was talking about the book with the various librarians in attendance. I talked with him about his books and illustration process (I learned about gesso from him).

I already knew he was one of the best picture book makers, but I discovered that he was also wonderfully open and kind and funny as well.

I was surprised to hear that he passed away recently, and sad that I won’t get to cross paths with him again.

Here are three of the books Floyd Cooper illustrated in 2021:

Tracey Baptiste wrote a celebration of Floyd Cooper for The Brown Bookshelf.

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