Books that Talk about Artists

Haring, Keith
Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing (Haring/Neubecker) 2017 (5)
     A wonderful biography for kids about Keith Haring that includes lots and lots of his original work, and is beautifully illustrated by Neubecker.  A favorite.
The Stories of the Mona Lisa (Barsony) 2012 (4)
          Barsony shows how he thinks other famous artists would have painted the Mona Lisa, including Keith Haring.

Picasso, Pablo
13 Artists Children Should Know (Wenzel) 2009 (5)
          A wonderful model for further research and writing...each of the thirteen artist pages include famous painting/s, kid-friendly information and anecdotes about the artist, tips, and further reading suggestions.  There's also a "try this' for each artist!
Emily's Blue Period (Daly/Brown) 2014 (5)
           A picture book about divorce...a young girl follows the example of Pablo Picasso and creates a collage of her "home."
Math at the Art Museum (Group Majoongmul) 2015 (4)
          Many famous artists are portrayed in this art book, which include works of art and perspective about the art and the artist. 

Picture Book: Emily's Blue Period by Cathleen Daly

Illustrated by Lisa Brown

2014.  A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press

HC $17.99

56 pgs. (5 tiny short chapters, still reads as a picture book)

Goodreads rating:  405 - 1204 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  pale slate

Illustrations:  Lots of white, very much like

1^st line/s:  "Emily wants to be an artist."

My comments: An excellent picture book for kids who live in a divorced-family situation as well as a nice introduction to the artwork of Pablo Picasso.  Written in five teeny, tiny short chapters and although there are 56 pages, it still reads as a picture book in one easy sitting. Lots of discussion and art projects (including collage-making) can be created after reading this....

Goodreads: Emily wants to be an artist. She likes painting and loves the way artists like Pablo Picasso mixed things up.Emily's life is a little mixed up right now. Her dad doesn't live at home anymore, and it feels like everything around her is changing.
          “When Picasso was sad for a while,” says Emily, “he only painted in blue. And now I am in my blue period.”
          It might last quite some time.

PICTURE BOOK - Math at the Art Museum by Group Majoongmul

From the copyright page:  "Majoongmul is a Korean word that refers to "priming water" poured into a pump to start the flow before pumping water from a well.  Group Majoongmul is the name of the authors' group that creates books that serve as the priming water within children's hearts.
Illustrated by Yun-ju Kim

2015 TanTan Publishing - originally published in Korea

HC $16.95

32 nice, thick pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.92 - 24 ratings

My rating: 4

Endpapers: Mottled cream

1^st line/s: "My sister and I are going to the art museum with our parents!  'It's interesting that math can be found in art," Dad says.'"

My comments:  Many famous artists' work is represented in this art appreciation book for kids, each named and identified well.  At first I was a bit reluctant to see particular paintings included until I realized that point-of-view/perspective is, indeed, math.  Included are famous paintings by Jasper Johns, Seurat, Kandinsky, Leger, Picasso, Degas, Magritte, Matisse, and Dali, as well as two that I must learn more about: Giuseppe Arcimboldo and Kim Jae-hong.   The last five pages are informational and include activities for kids that combine art and math.

Goodreads:  This charming and colorful book incorporates mathematical concepts by introducing children to a fresh perspective on math through art
          When his father tells him there’s math in art, a young boy is suspicious of the idea. But when the boy explores paintings and other masterpieces with his sister and their parents, he begins to understand there is math in art, both hidden and visible. He sees, too, that math in art is brilliant—and beautiful! Hands-on activities and elementary mathematical concepts that relate to perspective, composition, symmetry, patterns, and other elements in artwork turn exploring art into an eye-opening adventure.

13 Artists Children Should Know - Angela Wenzel

A Prestel Publication
Rating: 5
Published April, 2009
Endpapers: blue, no dust cover
$14.99 at B&N (store)

This is a wonderful model for further research and writing. Each of the thirteen artist pages include famous painting, kid-friendly information and anecdotes about the artist, tips, and further readig suggetions. Also is a "try this" for each! Artists included are:

Leonardo daVinci (the Mona Lisa, Last Supper, and Vitruvian Man)
Jan Vermeer (The Girl with a Pearl Earring)
Claude Monet (many)
Mary Casatt
Vincent VanGogh
Henri Matisse
Pul Klee
Franz Marc
Pablo Picasso
Marc Chagall
Frida Kahlo
Andy Warhol

Any kid that enjoys art, art appreciation, or famous artists would enjoy this book. I want to add Wassily Kandinsky, Keith Haring, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Maybe next year my fourth graders will add to it...hmmm.....

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude - Jonah Winter

Illustrator: Calef Brown
Published: 2009
For: Kids
Rating: Still mulling
Endpapers: Deep purple
$16.99

Okay, I've heard of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas and their marijuana brownies and interesting soirees with artists and writers, but I had no clue what kind of writer Gertrude was. This book let me know. At first, as I read, I wondered what in heck was going on, but it slowly dawned on me that this must be modeled by Stein's writing. For example:

"Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude. And Alice is Alice. And Gertrude and Alice are Gertrude and Alice. Well it's like this. You walk up the stairs, and there they are. They are sitting in chairs and there they are, staring where they are staring. Not the chairs. Chairs never stare. Chairs are where you sit and stare....."

In the author's note at the end, Winter states: "Her very famous writing was famous for being repetitive, playful, childlike, conversational, and often quite nonsensical. And her very famous writing has bee imitated by many other writers, including the author of this book, whose title is an imitation of her most quoted line: 'Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose......Often mocked in her lifetime, Stein is now praised for being among the most original and influential voices of the twentieth century."

Mentioned particularly are Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. But how much will kids get this? I bet there aren't a lot of ADULTS who would recognize her style of writing. Her name, perhaps, and the title of one of her books, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. But has anyone of this generation read it? I'm going to look it up and see if it's readily available, or at the library.....

I recognize Caleb Brown's work. His illustrations fit perfectly with the text and funky writing, full color from edge-of-page to edge-of-page. A fun book.

Ed Spicer writes a "rave" review on his blog, Reading Roadtrips. Check it out!