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 most recent 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.”