Elisha Cooper facts for kids

Elisha Cooper is an American writer and illustrator. He is especially known for creating wonderful books for children. His stories and artwork often feature animals and everyday adventures. This makes them fun and easy for young readers to enjoy.

Early Life and Education

Elisha Cooper was born on February 22, 1971. He grew up in Connecticut. For his early schooling, he attended Foote School and Hopkins School. After high school, he went to Yale University. After graduating from Yale, Cooper worked as a messenger for The New Yorker magazine. This experience helped him learn about the world of publishing. In 2016, he was chosen as a Maurice Sendak Fellow. This special program helps illustrators develop their skills.

Books for Young Readers

Elisha Cooper has written and illustrated many popular children's books. His books often have simple, quiet stories with beautiful watercolor pictures. Some of his well-known children's books include:

• 8: An Animal Alphabet
• Train
• Farm
• Homer
• Beaver Is Lost
• Ice Cream
• Ballpark
• Building
• Dance!
• Magic Thinks Big
• A Good Night Walk
• Beach
• Big Cat, Little Cat
• River

Awards and Recognition

Elisha Cooper's books have won several important awards. These awards show how much his work is appreciated.

• His book Dance! was named a New York Times Ten Best Illustrated winner in 2001.
• Beach received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators in 2006. It was recognized as one of the best illustrated books of the year.
• Critics have praised his work. For example, a New York Times Book Review said that the pictures and words in Magic Thinks Big were "simple and quiet and essentially perfect."
• In 2018, his book Big Cat, Little Cat was honored with a Caldecott Honor. This is a very prestigious award for children's picture books.
• His book River won the Robin Smith Picture Book Prize in 2020.

Other Books

Besides his children's books, Elisha Cooper has also written books for grown-ups. These include memoirs, which are true stories about his own life. Some of these books are Falling: A Daughter, a Father, and a Journey Back, ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: A Year in an American High School, and Crawling: A Father's First Year. He has also created several sketchbooks.

Life Today

Elisha Cooper currently lives in New York City. He shares his home with his wife and their two daughters.