Angela Burke Kunkel is an educator by day and a writer in the very early mornings. Her debut picture book, Digging For Words, José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built (Schwartz & Wade), celebrates perseverance, community, and the power of books. Digging For Words was named an ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book, and is the recipient of both the Américas Award and the International Latino Book Award for best English language title.
As a current school librarian and former English Language Arts teacher, Angela has experience working with all types of readers, from the reluctant to the voracious. A graduate of Simmons College, she has taught in alternative and public school settings in Massachusetts, as well as at a New Mexico middle school with a nationally-recognized dual education program. Angela now lives in Vermont with her husband and two children. Her book, Make Way, explores the creative process(es) of author-illustrator Robert McCloskey and sculptor Nancy Schön, and how both artists created beloved representations of “Make Way for Ducklings.” Her most recent book, World More Beautiful: The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney, is a stunning and lyrical picture book biography of the celebrated children’s book creator.
“The event was such fun, and Angela was wonderful with the kids and their questions. They were all so engaged, and that’s down to her and her lovely book!” — Jasmine Hodgett, Essex Free Library, 2020
