Picture Books--Review #1

Gaugh, Patricia Lee, David Briggs, Courtenay Palmer, and Kiffin Steurer, eds. 2007. Artist to Artist 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art. New York: Philomel. ISBN 978-0-399-246000-5

Plot Summary-
This book features 23 well-known children's book illustrators from around the world. Each illustrator has written a letter to aspiring artists telling the story of becoming an illustrator and encouraging the budding artist to persevere and follow his dreams.


Critical Analysis-
Each artists' letter is accompanied by a self-portrait, a picture of the illustrator as a child, and a picture of the illustrator's studio. The pictures of childhood art, early works, and current works included with each artists' letter, help show his development as an artist. Artists working in numerous disciplines are featured. These disciplines include painterly techniques, such as line drawings, paintings, and sketches in pencil and ink as well as graphic techniques like collages and pop-ups. As each illustrator shares his or her story, we discover the many roads that lead to becoming a picture book illustrator. From artists who knew from a very young age they would be artists (like Tomie dePaola and Eric Carle) to those who found their calling later (like Chris Van Allsburg, Leo Lionni, and Petra Mathers), their stories are here.

This book achieves its goal of inspiring young artists. As Eric Carle writes in his introduction, "I hope that this book will be a kind of mentor for you, young artist, and that you will feel when reading these artists' stories that you are among friends, fellow dreamers, and scribblers, who follow their instincts and listen to their own inner voices." (Eric Carle 7)

Review Excerpts--

School Library Journal-"...the end result is a gorgeous, browsable gallery of international treasures, with a behind-the-scenes tour led bythe generous and gifted creators themselves."

Kirkus Reviews- "Fun to read and view, this anthology is a treasure trove of creative insight and inspiration."

Connections--
*Gather several books by one of the illustrators. Is the style easily recognizable? Try to duplicate the style on your own.

*Several artists mentioned working with different mediums. Try creating the same picture using different art materials and techniques. Is there one you prefer?

*Read other books about artists and their works. Here are a few ideas.

• A CALDECOTT CELEBRATION by Leonard Marcus
• TALKING WITH ARTISTS (any of the volumes) by Pat Cummings
• PICTURE THIS: HOW PICTURES WORK by Molly Bang
• PASS IT DOWN: FIVE PICTURE BOOK FAMILIES MAKE THEIR MARK by Leonard S. Marcus
• SIDE BY SIDE: FIVE FAVORITE PICTURE BOOK TEAMS GO TO WORK by Leonard Marcus

*Several artists mentioned being inspired by "traditional" well-known artists, such as Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Klee and others. Find some artwork by these artists. What do you think about them? Do they inspire you?

*Some artists mentioned other picture book illustrators that inspired them like Maxfield Parrish, Dr. Seuss, and Wanda Gag. Find some books illustrated by these illustrators. Do they inspire you, too?

*Gather supplies for your own art box or studio. Include pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, different kinds of papers, scissors, and anything else that will excite and inspire you to create.