Tag Archives: Art

An Abundance of Light: A Story of Matisse in Morocco

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by Lauren Stringer

Matisse is weighed down by the drab dreariness of a grey, wet French day. He can’t see the light and, therefore, can’t paint. A friend suggests a trip to Morocco, where the light is beautiful and bright. Unfortunately, he arrives to more drab, dreary weather and feels trapped by it all. He awakens one morning to the bright light and colors he needed. He sketched and painted and the colors were glorious. Interestingly, he realized that so many of the colors around him in Morocco reminded him of home. He packed up his completed paintings and sketches an returned to France, where he continued to create and remember the vivid colors of Morocco even when it was drab and dreary outside.

This story of Matisse is well told in accessible language and beautiful accompanying illustrations that lead the reader to feel the a hint of the weight of darkness and grey and the burst of light and color that Matisse must have felt. In these illustrations, he is as grey and drab as his surroundings and becomes as colorful as his new environment in Morocco. Upon his return to France, he remains colorful amid the the grayness, still painting his beautifully colorful pieces. The illustrations tell the story alongside the written words.

More information is given about the artist at the end. The endpapers at the back of the book define unfamiliar words for the reader and are accompanied by colorful drawings.

This book is a wonderful addition to your biography section, especially if you are in need of books about the Arts. It won’t disappoint!

When You Breath, by Diana Farid and illustrated by Billy Renkl

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This book is a work of art. It is pure poetic beauty. It is outstanding.

You receive amazing illustrations by Billy Renkl such as the imagery of our lungs being upside trees, with the comparison of the branches of trees to the capillaries in our lungs. As Diana Farid tells us,

“When you breath–whoosh–

breath fills

the upside-down tree

inside your rising chest.”

This book delivers a beautiful blend of poetry, science and art. Conveying the feeling that you, are connected, a part of, of the larger natural world. You breath in the sky and stardust and atoms of the universe! Every page has stunning imagery worthy of frame and display in home or institution. The marriage of wording and illustrations is perfectly lovely in this poetry book.

Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. By Kat Zhang, illustrated by Charlene Chua.

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She tells them about dragons that bring down the rain. Dragons that are wise and just. Dragons that fly without wings.

This primary children’s book is the account of an elementary girl of Chinese heritage and her experience with sharing her family’s knowledge and beliefs around dragons. During a classroom scene, her teacher reads a special dragon book that Amy brings to school. The children are inspired to create their own version of a dragon. That evening Amy includes her family in the process of rehabilitating an old dragon “puppet” costume found in the attic. They bring out cardboard, glitter, jewels, fabric and everyone contributes until Amy has the perfect thing to share with her classmates. Several gather round and get inside the puppet costume and soar through the class to the amazement and amusement of others.

In addition to the lovable story, there is an activity page at the end of the book with directions on how to make your own dragon! There is also a comparison of Western verses Eastern dragons and the different interpretations of both. This would make a delightful read aloud, inspiration for an art activity, or a good share during the Lunar New Year. This book would make a great addition to your library.

Monster Mache Art: Easy-to-make Amazing Monsters

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Get ready to get messy and make some fun monsters along the way! This book takes the old school standard art project and amps up the fun with such pieces as “Greedy Garbage Monster” or “Mummy in the Cupboard”. Necessary tools, materials and methods are all described and step-by-step instructions are clear and, for the most part, illustrated. Purchase this book if you are looking to update your tired art section.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (Music Storybooks)

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Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet is presented as a picture book with stunning mixed media illustrations by renowned Mexican artist Gabriel Pacheco.

In addition to beautiful telling of the story, the book includes information about the composer, background about the ballet, and descriptions and definitions of both the music and ballet moves of the performance. Readers who enjoy fairy tales, ballet, or art will appreciate this book.

The Impressionists

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This reference begins with a definition of Impressionism and a timeline before a detailed study of four famous Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Cezanne. The section on each of the artists’ contains information on the world in their time, their family, finances and friends, influences, a discussion of what their paintings said, how they were made and what the critics say about them. The images are beautifully reproduced, including specifics about the paintings and close-ups of details in the paintings. It is an excellent introduction to Impressionism.