Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World: The Story of Two Groundbreaking Environmental Artists by G. Neri and Elizabeth Haidle

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Ages: 6–9 years

From Coretta Scott King Honor recipient G. Neri and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Haidle comes an exploration of love, art, and the gifts that two brilliant creators gave the world.

Their projects made people smile or made them mad. They made people see again.

When they first met, Christo was a poor refugee, and Jeanne-Claude knew nothing about art, but they were both rule-breakers and kindred spirits. Christo’s innovative creations—everyday objects wrapped to make people reconsider them—sparked Jeanne-Claude’s imagination. Thus began their lifelong partnership as husband and wife, and as artistic collaborators whose once-in-a-lifetime public installations captivated viewers and asked: What is art? Who does it belong to? And how can it help us reimagine the world around us? Accompanied by Elizabeth Haidle’s wonderfully stylish illustrations, award-winning author G. Neri takes readers through the remarkable career of a daring duo and a fascinating discussion about the nature of art itself. Realized as an imagined conversation between Christo and Jeanne-Claude, this compelling book features back matter about the couple, an author’s note, a bibliography, and a collection of fun facts about the artists and their work.

G. Neri is the Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King award-winning author of such books as Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and Ghetto Cowboy, which was made into the movie, Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba. His books have been translated into multiple languages in over 25 countries. They include My Antarctica, Safe Passage, The Collectors, Tru & Nelle, Grand Theft Horse, Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World, Hello, I'm Johnny Cash, and Chess Rumble. In 2017, he was awarded the first of two National Science Foundation grants that sent him to Antarctica; he is currently co-chair of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective. In 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from SUNY for his literary and Antarctic outreach. He writes full-time while living on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife and daughter.

Elizabeth Haidle is an author-illustrator who specializes in nonfiction comics. She is the art and editorial director at Illustoria magazine. Her illustrations have appeared in graphic novels, picture books and board books. Recent projects include a Tarot For All Ages deck and fabric design for loungewear. She publishes short-form comics online and in print, exploring poetry, book reviews and memoir. She teaches online and in-person workshops about experimental comics and personal art practice and lives in Portland, Oregon.

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