Miz Berlin Walks

Jane Yolen

Penguin Young Readers Group, Dec 18, 2000 - Juvenile Fiction - 32 pages

Powerhouses Jane Yolen and Floyd Cooper come together to tell this heartwarming story of an unexpected friendship.

Every evening, old as she is, Miz Berlin walks down the long block, past Mary Louise's house, talking to herself. One day Mary Louise catches up to Miz Berlin and walks with her. She is spellbound by the stories the old woman tells: block-long stories and two-day stories about how she caught crawdaddies the day the sky rained feathers, or about the day the flood rose right to her front door. Now every evening, Mary Louise walks with Miz Berlin, then runs on home, stuffed full of her own stories to tell.


"This poignant book conveys through simple words the power of stories to build bridges between two very different people."—Booklist 

"Yolen is pitch-perfect in her delivery of this tender tale."—Publishers Weekly 

About the author

Jane Yolen was born February 11, 1939 in New York City. She received a bachelor's degree from Smith College in 1960 and a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts in 1976. After college, she became an editor in New York City and wrote during her lunch break. She sold her first children's book, Pirates in Petticoats, at the age of 22. Since then, she has written over 300 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her other works include the Emperor and the Kite, Owl Moon, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and The Devil's Arithmetic. She has won numerous awards including the Kerlan Award, the Regina Medal, the Keene State Children's Literature Award, the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, the World Fantasy Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award. Floyd Cooper was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 8, 1956. He received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma. After graduating, he worked as an artist for a major greeting card company. In 1984, he came to New York City to pursue a career as an illustrator of books. The first book he illustrated was Grandpa's Face written by Eloise Greenfield. He received a Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations in The Blacker the Berry and a Coretta Scott King Honor for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea and I Have Heard of a Land. Floyd Cooper illustrator, and author, published over 96 books. On July 16, 2021, he died from cancer in Easton, PA. He was 65.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Miz Berlin Walks
• Author: Jane Yolen
• Illustrated by: Floyd Cooper
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2000
• ISBN: 0698118456, 9780698118454
• Length: 32 pages
• Subjects: Juvenile Fiction / Biographical / United States; Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General; Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / General; Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship