In a word: beautiful.
A profile of Nova Scotian folk artist Maud Lewis.
It’s eminently challenging to distill an entire life into a picture book, though perhaps those about artists are a bit easier given that so much content can be conveyed through art. Soloy’s illustrations rise to the occasion, emulating the naïve style and cheery palette of Lewis’ (1903-1970) art while highlighting key moments in Stinson’s tight narrative. There’s sadness in the telling, to be sure—Lewis had rheumatoid arthritis in a time and place when good treatments weren’t available—but there’s grace and beauty, too, as when her mother first gives her a paintbrush. Left to fend for herself after her parents die and her brother sells the house and moves, Maud finds work and companionship with Everett Lewis, a fish peddler in need of a housekeeper. It is in this small house, and with Everett’s support, that Maud continues painting, eventually selling her creations. And it is this small house itself that Maud paints, adding color to the walls, shelves, doors, and more, and that now sits inside the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Biographical info in the backmatter expands upon the text, sharing that Lewis’ works are now much more valuable than they ever were during her lifetime and emphasizing her legacy of finding beauty in the everyday. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
In a word: beautiful. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781771649513
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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