Review of ARTIST TO ARTIST: 23 MAJOR ILLUSTRATORS TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR ART by Eric Carle

Bibliography
Carle, Eric. 2007. Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art. Ill. by Mitsumasa Anno, Quentin Blake, Ashley Bryan, Nancy Ekholm Burkert, Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, Jane Dyer, Mordicai Gerstein, Robert Ingpen, Steven Kellogg, Leo Lionni, Petra Mathers, Wendell Minor, Barry Moser, Jerry Pinkney, Alice Provensen, Robert Sabuda, Matthew Reinhart, Maurice Sendak, Gennady Spirin, Chris Van Allsburg, Rosemary Wells, and Paul O. Zelinsky. ISBN 9780399246005


Plot Summary
In this exquisitely beautiful picture book, Eric Carle compiles the profiles and artwork of twenty-three brilliant artists who illustrate children’s literature. Each artist is introduced with a short “letter” to children regarding art and creativity. Some of the letters are autobiographical in nature; others are explanations of their particular style; all are intriguing and offer encouragement for the young artist within us all. Eric Carle sagely tells the children, “My way is just one approach, but there are as many different kinds of artists, illustrators, designers, and picture-makers, just as there are many kinds of people in the world.”


Following the introductory letters are self-portraits of each artist. These drawings alone would make any art gallery or picture book swell with pride. As a bonus, when you turn the flap of each self-portrait, samples of the artist’s work spring from the pages and pull you into each of their magical worlds. A special point of interest is the inclusion of childhood drawings from many of the illustrators.


Critical Analysis
Famed children’s book illustrator Eric Carle presents an anthology of fellow artists who have made waves in the world of children’s picture books. While this is not a traditional children’s book, in the sense that there is no set storyline, this book maintains a quality that would provide a treasured read aloud to children and adults of all ages. The artists provide brief explanations of how they felt about art, school, and life as children. Many share how they went from doodling on the margins of their homework to becoming accomplished illustrators. There are common themes of following one’s passions and honing individual skills, whether as an artist or in another vocation.


The artwork within each chapter is vivid, bold, and colorful. There is a broad, all-encompassing range of artistic styles displayed within the pages. From the watercolor cowboys of Jerry Pinkney to the pop-up creations of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, we see the genius in each stroke of the brush or cut of the paper. The visual effect of this book is reason alone to show to children. The letters from each artist are the proverbial cherries on top.


Review Excerpts
Children's Literature:  "In an attractive package, all this information helps us understand a bit about the artists' origins and current thinking about their work."
Kirkus Reviews:  "Their diversity shines in the text of their letters, in which they share childhood stories, sources of inspiration, views on art, details of how they work and advice on becoming an artist."


Connectons
*This book is an excellent resource to prompt a discussion about "what I want to be when I grow up."
*Children could write letters back to the artists about their own aspirations.
*Children can explore and read the many picture books that are mentioned in this book.
*This book could be used to introduce various styles of art.

Review of JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback

Bibliography
Taback, Simms. 1999. Joseph had a Little Overcoat. New York, NY: Viking ISBN 9780670878550


Plot Summary
Inspired by the Yiddish folk song “I Had a Little Overcoat,” Simms Taback writes about a resourceful character named Joseph. Joseph is a man of meager means, and we first see him draped in an old patched overcoat. When the overcoat becomes too worn, Joseph makes it into a jacket. When the jacket becomes worn, he makes it into a vest. And so it goes until he loses the now small button that was the only remnant left of the old overcoat. Never to be dismayed, resourceful Joseph turns his memory of the cloth into a book, proving “You can always make something out of nothing.”


Critical Analysis
Taback’s charming tale with a moral is written in a catchy, repetitive pattern which makes this a perfect book for early readers or English language learners. Each transformation of the overcoat begins with, “Joseph had a little (jacket, vest, etc). It got old and worn. So, he made a (tie, button, etc) out of it.” There is a steady rhythm to the book when read aloud, and young children quickly catch on to the objective. The children I read to began to giggle with anticipation of the next reinvention of the old worn cloth.


The illustrations are striking as deep, vivid colors are painted against a solid black backdrop. I got the sense that the drawings could be stills from a film reel. Each character is full of expression and drawn in a way that makes them appear to be frozen within animation. Talback also incorporates symbolism within his illustrations. In each evolution of the coat, a strategically placed hole is cut out in the shape of the new creation (i.e. vest, scarf, button, etc). The holes symbolize the holes in Joseph’s beloved overcoat.


The cultural elements in the story are seamlessly woven throughout the book. We learn of a Yiddish folk song, which is printed on the final page and is the inspiration for the book. There are also accents of Jewish culture sprinkled throughout the illustrations. For example, there are newspapers sprawled on the floor with humorous headlines reading, “Rabbi from Chelm Visits Kazrilevke” and “Fiddler on Roof Falls off Roof.”


Review Excerpts
2000 Caldecott Award
Publishers Weekly:  "The author puts a droll spin on his narrative when Joseph loses the last remnant of the coat--a button--and decides to make a book about it."

Connections
*This book could be used as a catalyst for conversations about topics ranging from creativity to recycling.
*Children could use this book as an inspiration to make a book about their favorite thing (i.e. teddy bear, a pair of shoes, etc), and how they could use it in different ways.
*This book could be used in the context of cultural lesson plans or as an addition to a multicultural book collection.

Review of HENRY'S FREEDOM BOX by Ellen Levine

Bibliography
Levine, Ellen. 2007. Henry’s Freedom Box. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439777339


Plot Summary
Henry’s Freedom Box is a true story written by Ellen Levine about a slave who literally mailed himself to freedom. In this Caldecott award winning book, we are transported back to a time when slavery was alive and abominably well in our country. Henry Brown was a young black child who was born into slavery in Virginia. The simple, yet powerful introduction of Henry sets the tone for the book, “Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays.” Levine compellingly displays the objectification of slaves as she recounts the moment Henry was given to another owner as a gift. We next see Henry as a disenchanted young man working wearily in a tobacco factory. He soon meets another enslaved woman who instantly becomes Henry’s sole source of light and happiness. They are married and have three children together. Yet, as quickly as Henry found his wife, she was hastily sold away along with their three children. This becomes Henry’s catalyst for making a move that only a desperate man could imagine. With the aid of his best friend and a white man, who is partnered with the Underground Railroad, Henry puts himself into a wooden crate and is mailed to Philadelphia where he finds his freedom.


Critical Analysis
Ellen Levine was inspired to write about Henry “Box” Brown after reading William Still’s The Underground Railroad. In Still’s book, he tells of the story of Henry Box, an American slave who mailed himself in a 3 ft. square box from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her writing is clear and concise, making the book a comprehensible read for younger readers. At the same time, the images that her words convey make the book piercing enough to intrigue adult readers. Levine uses symbolism to convey the underlying themes of the book. For example, she writes of a young Henry being given to another owner away from his family. As his parents are tearfully hugging him goodbye, Henry spots a bird soaring through the air and notes the bird’s freedom as he thinks, “Free bird! Happy bird!” She also uses symbolism as a means of foreshadowing. In the beginning of the book, Henry and his mother are watching the autumn leaves fall to the ground. His mother makes a chilling remark, “They are torn from the trees like slave children are torn from their families.” The aforementioned scene, where Henry watches the unrestrained bird, he also notices the leaves aimlessly swirling in the wind.


The illustrations by Kadir Nelson give us the feeling of peeking into the windows of Henry’s world. Nelson worked with oil paints and pencil to create bold, emotional images of this book’s characters. The tones of the illustrations are apropos to the story, muted and deep. Nelson uses soft brush strokes to show us a warm scene of a young Henry resting securely in his mother’s tender arms. In contrast, he potently draws with tighter lines on more crowded and complex images to convey the chaotic and frantic feel of Henry searching for his wife and children at a slave market. One of my favorite illustrations by Nelson is his depiction of Henry turned upside down in his wooden crate. The image is large and bold, spanning across two pages. Nelson draws the box as though one side is made of glass, and you can see Henry’s forehead and hand tightly pressed against the pane while lines of agony are painted down Henry’s poignant face.


Review Excerpts
Caldecott Honor Book
Starred in Booklist: “Transcending technique in the humanity Nelson imbues in his characters, especially Brown and his mother---her dream of freedom deferred, his amazingly achieved.”
New York Times Best Seller


Connections
*This book could be used as an opening to discussions about slavery in the history of the United States.
*Gather other books illustrated by Kadir Nelson that pertain to slavery or civil rights.
Rappaport, Doreen. Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. ISBN 9781423104087
Shange, Ntozake. Coretta Scott. ISBN 9780061253645
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom.
ISBN 9780786851751
*This book can be used in conjunction with Henry’s Freedom Box lesson plan found at
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32442