An inconsistently paced biography that may still enlighten and inspire young lovers of public art.
Pattison pays tribute to famed sculptor Nancy Schön in this picture book.
The book opens with a brief memory of Nancy Schön’s introduction to sculpture at a Halloween party (via a chewing gum-sculpting competition). At a local park, the now grown-up Nancy observes a succession of children touching a beloved bronze statue of a woman cuddling a cat, which sparks her to create something of her own: nine sculpted ducks (“Right then, I saw what I wanted for my art. I wanted my sculptures to be outdoors in parks, where people of all ages could touch and enjoy them”). She becomes temporarily discouraged with her design (“Would she ever get the ducklings right?”), but, with the help of a friend, Nancy is able to finish the ducks and install them at Boston’s Public Garden. Pattison’s account of Schön’s life skips over her early years so quickly that it may leave readers curious about her education in art (her pacing settles down when she arrives at Schön’s creation of the ducklings). Davis’ illustrations are reminiscent of the statues themselves: bold, with rounded edges and a fullness of life that he captures with rich colors and an absence of outlines. The inclusion of Schön’s other artwork rounds out the artist’s legacy as a versatile sculptor.
An inconsistently paced biography that may still enlighten and inspire young lovers of public art.Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781629442365
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mims House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 6, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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