Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World: The Story of Two Groundbreaking Environmental Artists

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 a Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor winner whose many books for young readers include Hello, I’m Johnny Cash, illustrated by A.G. Ford; When Paul Met Artie, illustrated by David Litchfield; and Ghetto Cowboy and Polo Cowboy, both illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. His books have been translated into multiple languages in more than twenty-five countries. He lives with his family on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Elizabeth Haidle is the creative director for Illustoria magazine and the illustrator of several books for young readers, including The Girl Who Named Pluto, written by Alice B. McGinty. She lives in Portland, Oregon.