Make Meatballs Sing: The Life and Art of Corita Kent

by Matthew Burgess, Kara Kramer (Illustrator)

Deeply influenced by her religious beliefs and fired up by the social justice causes of her day, artist, designer, and educator Corita Kent was a nun like no other! A 2022 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf Selection
A 2022 ALA Notable Children's Book 
A Booklist Editors’ Books for Youth, 2021
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2021
A  Marginalian  (formerly  Brain Pickings ) Loveliest Children's Book of 2021
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2022, of Outstanding Merit
Nominated for a 2021 Ezra Jack Keats Writing Award
Featured in the 2021 Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibition
A 2021 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Children's Nonfiction
A  Booklist  Top Ten Arts Books for Youth of 2021
A CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) Choices Best Children’s Book, 2022
Stars from Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and more! Corita Kent (1918–1986) lived a remarkable life as an artist, educator, nun, and activist. Unapologetically holding true to herself and her beliefs, Corita spread a powerful message of love, hope, and justice with her work, as it evolved from figurative and religious art, to serigraphs incorporating the sacred and the ordinary, to a sparser, more introspective style.
This timely story will draw readers into the life of a singular woman whose work and commitment invite us all to seek joy in the everyday, to observe the world with open eyes, and to question and see beyond the existing frameworks of society.
Thoughtfully written by Matthew Burgess and vibrantly illustrated by Kara Kramer, this beautiful biography, made in close collaboration with the Corita Art Center, includes reproductions of Corita’s works, a chronology, and author and illustrator notes.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Art, Nonfiction, Childrens, Biography Memoir, History

80 pages, Hardcover

Published September 7, 2021

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as her art intersected commercialization and spiritually the life of (Sister) Corita Kent is that rare intersection of faith and individuality. A truly courageous woman who stayed true to herself; even as conservative forces tried to force her to choose between her art and her calling to be a nun. Wonderful illustrations that convey the vibrancy and force of of the artist without trying to copy her.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corita Kent was a remarkable pop-artist who was also a nun, a teacher and an activist. From a small child, Corita showed kindness and empathy for others and also a love of art and creativity. Her father wanted her to do something original, and Corita certainly did. She surprised her family by becoming a nun, discovering a love of teaching and training new teachers. She joined the art faculty at Immaculate Heart College, where she discovered a love of silkscreen printing. Soon her art was winning competitions. Corita continued to teach classes and make her own art, which spoke to social justice and against poverty and war. She transformed a rather formal celebration into one of bright colors and activity. Not everyone approved of what Corita was doing, and she surprised the people around her once again, asking to be released from her religious vows. She found places for her largest work, painted on a gigantic tank, and her smallest, a rainbow postage stamp.

While Kent may not be a household name, many of us have seen her work on the iconic postage stamp. This picture book embraces her unusual life, celebrating the decisions she made, the art she created and her voice for social change. The book cleverly pulls out elements of how Kent taught and created her art, offering unique perspectives gained by seeing the world in a fresh way. The writing here is engaging and offers a tone of delight as Kent continues to surprise and amaze.

The bright and vibrant art in the book shares elements of Kent’s own work. Her play with lettering and words appear throughout the illustrations of the book, filling tree trunks, coloring margins, and as posters on the walls. The entire book is a delight of collage, typography and riotous color.

A positive and affirming look at an artist who should be better known. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bursting with color, with art, with inspiration! Wow!

[Elizabeth Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very typical Matthew Burgess book: entertaining, factual, interesting, artistic.

[Rainbow Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make Meatballs Sing introduces readers to Corita Kent when she was known as Frances Elizabeth Kent, a young girl who loved to read, draw, and daydream throughout her childhood in Hollywood, California. As a teenager, young Frances shocked those closest to her by following her religious calling and joining the Order of The Immaculate Heart, becoming Sister Mary Corita. Through her duties as a nun, Corita continued to follow her passion for art and creativity, teaching young children and eventually joining the art department of the Immaculate Heart College, where she studied art history and printmaking. Corita became an accomplished teacher, sharing the art of serigraphy, or silkscreen.

Corita’s religious beliefs had a great influence on her work, but she was also inspired by the Civil Right Movement. She often spoke out against poverty, war, and injustice in her work, which didn’t always go over well with the leaders of the Church, but did make her a recognized and celebrated public figure who left a mark on the world.

The illustrations in Make Meatballs Sing are fantastic! Kara Kramer perfectly captures the spirit of Corita Kent’s work. The range of bright colors, textures, fonts, and patterns on every page mirror Corita’s prints, providing the perfect backdrop for her fascinating story.

The extensive back matter featuring a timeline and informative author’s and illustrator’s notes also make this a fantastic selection for classroom and school libraries.

Thank you so much to Enchanted Lion Books for sharing a review copy of Make Meatballs Sing with me. I am so honored to share this loving tribute to Corita on Mutually Inclusive today!

Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Storygraph

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corita Kent is a hero.

[Amanda up North · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!
There are two new picture book biographies on Corita Kent in 2024. One was just recently published and I haven't read yet.
The other, Signs of Hope: The Revolutionary Art of Sister Corita Kent, I liked a lot.
But this one, published a few years ago, HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK. Much more thorough, and really good!
It has heft - 80 big, bold pages - double that of the other books mentioned.
It celebrates creativity, color, and Corita, who found joy and inspiration in ordinary things, and, in her life, surprised people.
An excellent beginner biography and thorough overview of her unique life.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about one of my heroes. Corita Kent had such a playful spirit and was so passionate about art being for everyone. I love how she encouraged her students to find beauty in everything. This book definitely captures that joy.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading for the Mock Caldecott Awards for January 2022. Bright, bold illustrations telling the story of Sister Corita Kent and her wonderful artwork. Just a lot of fun to read!!

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Corita Kent embodies more than a life creating snd teaching art. Hers is the story of a powerful woman who drove change and created a more equitable world.

[Natalie Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Maria Popova recommendation. This is a beautifully illustrated biography of Corita Kent with text that perfectly highlights the importance of her work and life.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspirational picture book biography about Corina Kent, an artistic nun contains back matter.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I am saying is Hippie Nun. You need to read to learn more!

Okay, I will also say, really cool illustrations that are inspired by Kent and the style of the illustrators mix-media format.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would be great to use in grade school art program. Great graphics, inspiring story.

[Y.Poston]

Such a delight! Reading about her life & the illustrations are uplifting. Definitely history worth repeating.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a glorious picture book celebration of artist, Sister Corita Kent, who made her stamp, figuratively and literally, on the art scene of the 1960’s through the 80’s. The rainbow “Love” stamp she designed in 1985 is famous, as is the giant “Rainbow Swash” oil tank she designed in Boston. The text is highly engaging and intertwines creatively with the colorful illustrations that pop off the page. The illustrator hid a couple of “Easter eggs” which are fun to find (read the illustrator’s note). Corita was a passionate teacher, creator, and activist. She invented the word “PLORK” to express that play and work are one. Children, parents, and teachers, especially art teachers will find a lot here to inspire and celebrate.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent picture book of an artist I was unfamiliar with, Sister Corita Kent. I had seen some of her art though-- the Boston gas tank on the expressway in Boston! A woman whose art was unforgettable and who stayed true to herself and her personal mission. This is a beautifully designed and illustrated book, packed with the bright colors and playful art of Sister Kent.

[Chloe Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reading is about the life of a singular woman whose work and commitment invite us all to seek joy in the every day, to observe the world with open eyes, and to question and see beyond the existing framework of society.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable symbiosis of text and art to reveal the creative, curious life of one of the most influential visual artists and teachers in the second half of the twentieth century. With images that convey information while emulating the perspective, colors, inspirations, and applaicitons of art that made Sister Corita Kent widely loved by those in the art world and those in everyday life.

[Lindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations perfectly complement this excellent picture book biography about Sister Mary Corita, an activist nun, artist, teacher, and all around good person.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of Sister Corita Kent's artwork is used to illustrate this book, the rest is also wonderful!

Highly recommended as a picture book biography to read aloud to kids ages 4 to 10, in or not in art class.

Have art supplies ready because it's inspiring!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging picture book biography traces the unusual life of teacher, religious activist, and Pop art pioneer, Sister Corita Kent. Known for her work in the printmaking process of serigraphy, Kent's individualism found fertile ground in the political and social protests of the 1960's and 70's. Sparked by the nascent Pop art movement, her work often linked advertising copy to ecclesiastic text. Utilizing Corita Kent's color palette, the book's illustrations integrate the artist's words and images with its graphic design; it's often hard to distinguish between original serigraphy and the illustrator's interpretations. A chronology, author's note, illustrator's note, and quotation sources are included in the end matter, but there is no list of attributions for the artwork referenced. Readers might have enjoyed the opportunity to match Kramer's visual quotes with Kent's original serigraphs. Despite this omission, Make Meatballs Sing is an exuberant biography of an artist whose gender and vocation made her success all the more remarkable. Young artists may find ample inspiration here.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this book as much as I did! The art style is not the type that I usually like, but it really fit with the style and story of the book. Very positive, flowing, and unique. I loved how Sister Cordita followed her heart always, not only with art, but with life as well. I’m so happy to know her story. Now, every time I go to Boston and pass the gas company building with Sister Cordita’s art splashed across it, I can smile and enjoy it even more than I did before. What a lovely story! 🥰❤️

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Make Meatballs Sing by Matthew Burgess & Kara Kramer. What an inspirational story about creating extraordinary art, seeking hope and justice, & finding joy in everyday life. Absolutely awesome #kidlit.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dynamic and inspirational. Great for art classes, parochial schools, and will diversify picture book biography collections in libraries.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great desire to read this book about this extraordinary woman. It was just published this year. It was great getting to know about her life and her art.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oversized book with bold, bright and colorful artwork seems a fitting tribute to Sister Corita. Collage, painting, handwriting, perhaps silkscreening are used. We only see Sister Corita in her nun's habit or b&w photo, and reimagings of her art, but it seems the bright colors of the book echo her art if her rainbows are an indication, and her art is described as bold in the text as well as in the illustrator's note.

We meet Sister Corita when she was a girl named Frances, walking through the grass. The last image of Corita is in another field or meadow of grass. A blue bird sits on a white fence (and against white background) watching the child Frances and Corita is painting a bird (white on a blue background) to bring the book full circle. After mention of her becoming a bird in the breeze of her brush, the blue bird of her childhood appears more regularly and can be found on most of the spreads. Text includes hand drawn and oversized words -- an entire two-page spread just for "Plork." Pages open for an expanded view of art students pretending they are microscopes (big view for little things). I don't know her work's relation to Warhol and he isn't mentioned but her borrowing a tomato sauce slogan and other pieces of ads, billboards, signs seem to hint at inspiration due to him. It would have been interesting to connect Corita with contemporary artists -- she's clearly part of the pop art movement. There's joy in the images and colors. The one spread without a pop of color is when she asks to be released from her vows -- browns with the black and white of her habit, hanging from the back of a white door -- which is ajar with a sliver of yellow light coming through, hinting of future happiness as she continues to create.

Handpainted/drawn text shifts colors a couple times to show a smaller word hidden inside the large one -- anNoUNcement and "also kNOWn as... = now known as...)-- kind of goes with her writing that Psalm inside the word 'sing' of Makes Meatballs Sing.

A timeline, author and illustrator notes, and quotation sources are at the end. Front papers show the blue bird on a white background and with what I believe are art suggestions from Corita. Back papers are bright and share a large brush painted quote and a handwritten one along with a photo of Corita. Underneath the book jacket is a deep bright pink cover with another quote.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a children's book, this is big and thick, but it reads really fast. Here is a story about a real Artist nun that became famous for her artwork. It was a little like Andy Warhol. She was big in the 60s. She was asked to do the big rainbow gas tanks outside Boston and she did postage stamps.

Mostly, she was a teacher at a monastery that encouraged children to be playful and explore. She spent many years teaching as a nun. She was a great teacher.

Her art was gaining so much attention, it got the attention of the Archdiocese and the establishment didn't care for it. At age 50, she left her habit behind and became just an artist.

It's so interesting, in the 60s and 70s, there was a huge push to help transform the Catholic church and bring it forward. I've read many stories about it. Obviously, they mostly failed and the church is dying a slow death right now. It does make one wonder if things would be different if they had changed. The Catholic church might be thriving right now. Who knows.

Anyway, she seems like a wonderful artist and interesting person. She did life her way, that's for certain. What a cool person and I'm glad I learned about her.

The artwork in the book has her style in it. It's bright and fun. She would put bits of poems and scriptures inside little pieces of her artwork. Very neat.

Kids interested in artist or wanting to be an artist and kids interested in nuns will love this book.

I saw one reviewer call her the "Hippie nun". I like that. Perfect.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

About Kent from childhood through old age in the Boston area. Many pages, but little text on most pages, and some excellent playing with the format, incorporating text into illustrations, drawing on Kent's style, etc.

Probably the best backmatter of the Corita Kent picture books I've read.

More about her life post-release from vows than Love Is Hard Work: The Art and Heart of Corita Kent, more like Signs of Hope: The Revolutionary Art of Sister Corita Kent in that respect. More in her childhood and less social context later than either of those. Maybe the least emphasis on her as a teacher in terms of approach, though that's still very present.

[Stef Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled across this beautiful little book while looking for Corita Kent literature online. What a delightful and inspiring book perfect for kids and adults alike. The illustrations are fun, vibrant and thoughtfully put together and the inspiring story of Kent's life is wonderfully translated onto the page. I had never heard of Matthew Burgess before but came to find out he's done books on e.e. cummings and Keith Haring as well (you can bet I'm looking those up now too). The book was well researched and provides reference for further reading. I could see it being a powerful teaching tool for kids, not just in learning the power of creativity, individuality, and challenging the status quo, but also in teaching children about the importance of art, discourse, and research. So glad I found this book and can't wait to give it as a gift to all the new parents in my life.