Illustrated by Holly Berry
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012
HC $16.99
Ellsworth Library
32 pages
Goodreads rating: 3.79
My rating: 3.5
Endpapers: Blue
Title Page: Cutout letters, paintes, colorful, entire page full of art and information
Illustrations: Black & white line drawings for the parts of Henri's life without color, color is introduced whenever he is creative or as he discovered it as a young man. Then, as he became a painter, Berry creates the illustrations using the same sort of techniques that Matisse would have used.
1st line: "Years ago a dreamy boy gazed out his bedroom window. He lived in a dreary village in France. It was an industrial town -- choked with factories, clanking looms, and smoking chimneys."
My reaction: Although this is a very simple biography, the writing uses some really beautiful language. The illustrations reflect the text on each page - when there was no color in Matisse's life, the artist draws in black and white, when Matisse was being imaginative she used color, and as he eventually became a painter, investigating different styles, she used those styles to decorate the relevant pages. Another great model for biography writing, and a very nice introduction to a fabulous artist.
Goodreads: An inspiring portrait of one of the world's most loved artists. There was once a boy named Henri, whose dreams were full of color even though his hometown was dreary and gray. His parents expected him to learn a trade when he grew up, but being a law clerk bored him, and he continued to dream of a colorful, exciting life, and of being noticed. Then Henri started painting . . . and kept painting and dreaming and working at his craft until he'd become one of the most admired and famous artists in the world. This lyrical, visually rich picture book is more than an excellent biography; at its core, this remarkable book is an encouragement to never give up on your dreams
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