Be Strong: The Rise of Beloved Public Art Sculptor Nancy Schön Written by Darcy Pattison

 Be Strong: The Rise of Beloved Public Art Sculptor Nancy Schön

Written by Darcy Pattison; Illustrated by Rich Davis

MimsHouse Books. 2024

Have you ever been to Boston, Massachusetts and seen the Make Way for Ducklings sculptures in the Public Garden? If so, then you have seen the work of Nancy Schön. 

Born near Boston on September 24, 1928 (I got that from Wikipedia), Nancy became interested in sculpture at her cousin's Halloween party. 

    "For one game, each child was asked to chew a piece of gum and use it to sculpt something. Her hands shaped a tiny cup and saucer. She won first place!"

She graduated with a degree in sculpture from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Despite being married and raising her children, Nancy still found time to teach art and make sculptures. It was in 1979, that the idea of what she wanted her art to be came to her. 

"Right then, I saw what I wanted for my art. I wanted my sculptures to be outdoors in parks, where people of all ages could touch and enjoy them."

This picture book biography focuses on Nancy's creation of the duck sculptures based on Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings. Once installed, there was no holding her back. Other sculptures she created is the Tortise and Hare at Copley Square, which is the finish line for the Boston Marathon, as well as, other sculptures that are installed in parks around the world.

Woven into this charming story is a message of Be Strong, a message she received while creating the ducklings from artist whose studio was across the hall from Nancy. She took that message and kept it close to her heart and thought of it throughout her life when she had a hard day.

Quotes from Nancy Schön are throughout set off in purple. 

The illustrations are colorful and reflect what is being said in the text.

Back matter includes more information on Nancy Schön, and a listing of her public art sculptures. To write this engaging story the author conducted personal interviews with the artist and read the book, Make Way for Nancy: A Life in Public Art by Nancy Schön. (Boston: David R. Godine. 2017)

A fun book to share with budding artists of all ages, at an art adventure story time, and especially, after reading Make Way for Ducklings. 

Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards: the Making of Make Way for Ducklings by Emma Bland Smith

 Mr. McCloskey's Marvelous Mallards: the Making of Make Way For Ducklings
By Emma Bland Smith;
Illustrations by Becca Stadtlander
Calkins Creek. An Imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. 2022

Make Way for Ducklings received a 'starred' review from Kirkus in 1941 and went on to win the prestigious Randolph Caldecott Medal in 1942. What made the book so special? The illustrations. 

Bland shares the story of just how McCloskey, a perfectionist when it came to his art, spent six years trying to get the story just right. The idea of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard looking for a safe place to raise their ducklings was captivating. But, what could he do to make the ducks on the page good enough? 

What else was there to do but draw from real life? And how would he do that? By keep real live ducklings for months in his New York City apartment. 

"You can't draw ducks unless you live with them." Robert McCloskey

The story celebrates the commitment McCloskey had to making his beloved story, a favorite for generations. 

The book includes a word from Jane McCloskey (Robert's daughter), and author's note, a explanation on who was May Massee (McCloskey's editor at Viking Press), a list of book written and illustrated by McCloskey, a bibliography, and a timeline of important dates in the life and career of Robert McCloskey.

A fun book to hand to parents, both those who grew up hearing the story and to those who will read Make Way For Ducklings for the first time. 

Action! by Meghan McCarthy

Action!: How Movies Began
by Meghan McCarthy
A Paula Wiseman Book: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2022                                 

In Action!, McCarthy, explains in this fun nonfiction picture book, how we went from taking photos that required a long exposure time to our fast-paced, action-packed movies.

McCarthy’s engaging narrative show the main inventions that would allow movies to be made. We see how each invention built upon itself. From stop-action movies, silent films to movies that incorporate all kinds of sounds that creates an atmospheric experience for movie watchers. Think 3-D movies.

We also learn how movies from the 1920’s still influence filmmakers today. 

For example, in 1917, comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, in his movie, The Rough House, sticks forks into two dinner rolls and makes them dance. Charlie Chaplin does the same thing in his movie, The Gold Rush in 1925. Johnny Depp, in Benny & Joon, 1993, has his own rendition. 

Also placed into perspective was the prejudices towards African Americans during the Twenties when Josephine Baker left America to have more freedom to become a star in Paris. Baker paved the way for other African American actors to be movie stars today. “In 2018, a Marvel movie, The Blank Panther, with a majority black cast was a smash hit!”

The full-page, very colorful spreads in McCarthy’s comic-style illustrations are rendered in acrylic paint. 

An Author’s Note and more in-depth back matter on aspects discussed in throughout the book, and a selected bibliography, is included.

Highly recommended for all ages, especially those who love movies.

Beautiful Useful Things by Beth Kephart & Melodie Stacey

 

Beautiful Useful Things: What William Morris Made
Beth Kephart & Melodie Stacey
Cameron Kids, a division of Abrams. 2022

In this beautifully crafted book with lyrical text, readers will discover William Morris, an English man who loved beautiful things. Taking inspiration from the world around him, Morris believed all things crafted by hand were special. Best known for his colorful wallpapers and textiles, Morris also was a painter, poet, an environmentalist, and activist.

Morris was born in 1834. Possessing a rich imagination, Morris drew inspiration from nature. He felt you honored beauty by making items yourself. One at a time. He found items mass produced in factories to be ordinary and cheap. 

“One thing looking just like the next thing.” 

As an environmentalist, he saw the damage to nature as “the skies filled with smoke, the rivers polluted, and the forests thinned.”

Throughout his life, despite the proliferation of mass-produced items, Morris continued to create wallpaper, tapestries, rugs, stained glass, poetry, and, eventually he crafted books, one at a time.

Morris died in 1896.

The book includes a short author and illustrator’s note, and a list of sources used. 

Every time one buys local, you are honoring what Morris held dear. 

Share this book if you do story time at the Farmers’ Market. All the elements combine to make this picture book biography a memorable reading experience.

To learn more about William Morris and his lasting influence, click here to visit the William Morris Society website.

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists by Carla Sonheim

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun
by Carla Sonheim
Quarry Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group. 2019

I have kept a sketchbook to record my thoughts in words and drawings since 2016. I love the daily practice, yet sometimes I need motivation to know what to draw. In March of 2022, I signed up for a daily practice series called, Sketchbook Revival hosted by artist, Karen Abend. Each day you receive an email with two, 45-50 minute workshops led by an artist. The purpose of Sketchbook Revival is to inspire, energize, and revive your sketchbook habit with inspiration, tips, and techniques to support a creative practice. 

Why do I bring this up? One of the presenters was Carla Sonheim, an artist, who was so very inspirational I just had to request one her books from my local public library.  Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists is a year’s worth of “assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques” that will inspire ways to bring art into your life. 

The book is divided up into seven Units of inspiration with a wide variety of mixed-media activities. Each Unit contains 7 or 8 Labs with clear instructions on that particular activity. For example, Unit 4 : Inspired by Famous Artists,  bases each exercises on six artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso Joan Miró, Paul Klee, Amedeo Modigliani, and Dr. Seuss. Each Lab is an opportunity for artists to discover their own unique style by studying these masters by doing blind contour drawing, tracing the Masters to drawing with your non-dominate hand. Pencils, crayons, collage, watercolors are just a few of the tools used.

This book, and others in the Quarry Lab series, are a refreshing source of ideas for creating art with all ages. You could base a year-long teen art program using the ideas from this book.

And, don’t we all need a little bit of inspiration to spark our creativity from time to time? Especially, as we await warmer temperatures, at least here in the Northeast.

Washed Ashore

Washed Ashore: Making Art form Ocean Plastics 
by Kelly Crull
Millbrook Press, 2022
Grades 2-6

This unique, environmental picture book features fourteen sculptures created by the non-profit organization, Washed Ashore. Washed Ashore was founded by Angela Haseltine Pozzi in 2010 to educate the public about ocean pollution.

The layout of the book is a strength and will engage young children while teaching them about the harmful effects of plastic trash in the ocean. Each two-page spread includes a colorful, close-up photograph of a sculpture of marine life made from plastic trash. The expository text offers interesting facts about each featured animal and how plastic trash affects the creature and its habitat. Crull's writing is crisp and clear for young readers to comprehend.

On the bottom of each page is a "Can you find..." section. Readers are asked to locate various pieces of plastic trash in the sculpture similar to I Spy books. Sidebars in the upper right corner of the page share tips for reusing, reducing and recycling plastic trash.

There is a plethora of information in the back matter as well. Readers will be inspired to create their own trash sculptures with a step-by-step guide that shows Angela's artistic process. Crull also includes directions for a scavenger hunt game with the goal of cleaning up trash on beaches and in bodies of water. Run out and purchase this creative and interactive book that will inspire the readers of all ages to make a difference in the world. Washed Ashore could be used in public library programs, science classrooms, and it would make an excellent gift book.

You can preview pages from the book on the Lerner website.

We Are The Change: Words of Inspiration From Civil Rights Leaders

We Are The Change: Words of Inspiration From Civil Rights Leaders

Chronicle Books. 2019

All ages.

To honor the American Civil Liberties Union’s work to guard the rights of all Americans under the law, sixteen acclaimed and award winning children’s book artists have illustrated the words of fifteen past and present civil rights leaders and activists.

Explore this illustrious book highlighting some of the most influential figures in the historical fight for equality and justice.” by Harry Belafonte. 

Activists include: Queen Lili’uokalani, Frederick Douglass, John Lewis, Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sonia Sotomayor, Dolores Huerta, W. E. B. Du Bois, E. B. White, Khalil Gibran, Nina Simone, Helen Keller, and Barack Obama.  

Illustrators are: Emily Hughes, Lisa Congdon, Dan Santat, Sean Qualls, Brian Pinkney, Molly Idle, Juana Medina, John Parra, Raúl the Third, Greg Pizzoli, Selina Aiko, Melissa Sweet, Innosanto Nagara, Sahara Strickland, Alina Chau, and Christopher Silas Neal.

Each quote includes a brief explanation by the artist on why that particular activities inspired them. 

Very moving is the quote by John Lewis, illustrated by Dan Santat. Four individuals, both black and white, are standing in a voting booth (see cover).  Lewis’ quote says: “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” 

Social activist, Harry Belafonte gives a stirring introduction that “ties the work of the featured leaders to the ideals of the Constitution, and encourages future leaders to learn from those who have gone before.”

We Are The Change both visually stunning and inspirational. 

To write this review, the publisher sent me a copy.

Imogen: the mother of three boys by Amy Novesky

Imogen: the mother of three boys

by Amy Novesky; Illustrated by Lisa Congdon

Cameron & Company. 2019

ISBN: 9781937359324

Ages 5 up

Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) is considered one of the finest photographers of the twentieth century. Born in Portland, Oregon, Imogen was named after a princess in a Shakespeare play, Cymbeline, but she didn’t expect life to be smooth and easy and beautiful.

Novesky’s picture book biography offers readers a glimpse into the life of Cunningham, who at 18 decided she wanted to be a photographer. She went to college where she studied chemistry and botany. (Chemistry was useful to know when developing your own photos). She read poetry. She was the only one in her family to graduate from a university.”

Imogen opened a shop in Seattle, made a name for herself as a portrait photographer, then married an etcher. In her author’s note, Novesky explains that women at the turn of the twentieth century were not expected to have a career. Their primary role was to focus on children and the home. “Imogen focused on her children and her home.” Called, "the mother of modernism and three boys, she photographed her three sons, and every afternoon, while they napped, Imogen photographed her flowers.  

Embellishing this enchanting book are drawings of Cunningham's photos by Lisa Congdon.

The only back matter is an author’s note and one photo taken by Cunningham. A self-portrait that includes her three sons. 

To learn more about Imogen Cunningham, click here.

I borrowed this book from my local public library to write this review.

Degas: Painter of Ballerinas

Degas: Painter of Ballerinas 
by Susan Goldman Rubin
illustrations provided by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019
Grades 2-12

Susan Goldman Rubin has written biographies of many artists including Diego Rivera, Andy Warhol, Maya Lin, Georgia O'Keefe and the Wyeth family. Her latest biography children captures the life and essence of Edgar Degas in just sixty-pages.

Rubin uses quotes from Degas and his paintings, sketches and sculptures to present a complete portrait of the artist. While other impressionist artists turned their attention to nature and landscapes, Degas spent his time at the Paris Opera where he painted and sketched young ballerinas (also known as petits rats). Degas lost his eyesight in his later years and gave up sketching and painting for sculpting.

Degas: Painter of Ballerinas is the perfect book to introduce children to the artist. It also provides insight in the artist and techniques for readers who may be familiar with his work. The artwork, which is placed thoughtfully throughout the book, is a strength and will help children understand more about Degas' style and medium. The book is a recommended purchase for libraries and art classes.

The True Story of Alan Bean: The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon Written by Dean Robbins

The True Story of Alan Bean: The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon

Written by Dean Robbins; Illustrated by Sean Rubin

Orchard Books. An Imprint of Scholastic. 2019

Grades 5 and up

Dean Robbins tells the life of Alan Bean (1932-2018), a pilot, astronaut, and an artist.  As a child, Bean loved to think about the way things looked. He made model airplanes that he hung around in his bedroom.

“Green for the wings.

Red Stripes for the tail.

Yellow stars along the sides.”

This picture book biography shares how Bean’s love of flying had him training to be a navy pilot and then joining NASA in 1963. Bean traveled to the moon with the Apollo 12 mission in 1969 and became the fourth person to walk on the moon. When did he take his first art classe? While he was training to be a pilot in 1961. Beans says how he loved being able to show on paper what he saw with his eyes.

Back matter includes an author’s note with more information on Alan Bean, a timeline of space exploration, and a bibliography. There is a page in the back matter that places photographs taken during his Apollo 12 mission with the paintings Alan did based on the photo.  Captioned under each of the paintings Bean shares his experience of that amazing trip.

It’s a treat to see a book for children that acknowledges how influential art can be, even for someone who loves science.

A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney & Martin Gayford

A History of Pictures for Children: From Cave Paintings to Computer Drawings

by David Hockney & Martin Gayford; Illustrated by Rosa Blake

Abrams. 2018

Grades 6 and up

British artist, David Hockney (as I write this, one of his paintings just sold for $90.3M, a record-breaking sale for a living artist) and art critic, Martin Gayford have combined their knowledge of art in this sweeping journey through art history. From cave paintings to using computers, the pair highlights how artistic inventions throughout history created new ways of making images.

The book is unique in its approach to looking at art. The author’s contend that throughout history art is linked based on the skills and materials available for each period. “Every picture ever made has its rules. Someone has put it there, and arranged it so it would cover a certain area.” Readers are encouraged to look at the evolution of drawing and how each invention influenced the artist. For example, with the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck (1434), “No painter had ever included a mirror like the one in the center of the Arnolfini’s portrait. It would have been difficult for him to draw. But anyone who drew afterward would have his [Van Eyck} example to follow.” 

The book's design is inviting and intimate. As the two men converse on their perspectives and opinions on art concepts, the font changes based on who is talking. Well-captioned reproductions of paintings discussed in the text are placed throughout the book. Hockney’s art is used to further explain a technique or invention or illustrate how it influenced his own art. To fill up the white space, Blake’s comic style illustrations further enhance the narrative.

Back matter includes a timeline that highlights inventions of the art world that moves from stone tools and natural pigments used by cave painters to the use of smart phones and tablets, as well as, a glossary, endnotes, bibliography, list of illustrations, and index.

“MARTIN: “Pictures have moved from the cave wall, to the temple, the church, the photograph album, the cinema, television, and the computer screen. Many ways of making pictures have been devised, beginning with applying pigment with a stick or finger, and ending, for now with computer drawings.” 

We have no idea what will be next.

The author’s encourage us to spend less time snapping the perfect photograph and look closely at each one. If creating art is all about making sense of what is around us, Gayford and Hockney show us how artistic concepts are all linked together, and why it still matters.”

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library to write this review.

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide  
by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña
Getty Publications, 2018
Grades 6-12

The reviewer borrowed a copy of the book from her local library.

Photographic is one of the most creative and original nonfiction books I've read this year. The graphic biography tells the story of Mexican artist and photographer Graciela Iturbide. Readers are brought into the story with the combination of first person narrative text, black and white illustrations and Iturbide's own photographs.

A narrator speaks directly to readers at the beginning of each section of the book.

"Paving your own path comes with sacrifice, Reader. Do you know how painful sacrifice can be? Graciela gave up a life of comfort and convention- choosing instead the path of the artist and risking everything."

Don't be fooled by the slim size of the book; it's not a book for very young readers. The figurative language, symbolism, art history, and photographic terms and concepts make it an ideal read for teens.

"Photography lets me look into multiple worlds simultaneously. The serene and the violent. The beautiful and the terrible. The dead and the living."

The story is not organized in chronologically like traditional biographies. Instead, the narrative jumps from present day to 1979 and then back to the 1950s when Iturbide was a child before it shifts into a chronological order. Iturbide married young and had children. After the death of her daughter, she took photography courses then traveled around the globe photographing people, animals and the land. Her photographs depict mothers, gang members, landscapes, rituals, goat slaughters, and more.

I've read quite a few artist biographies written for kids and teens. Sometimes those biographies focus so much on events from the person's life, they miss the significance of the art. That's not the case here. Quintero and Peña expertly convey the meanings behind Iturbide's photographs.

Watch the author and illustrator discuss their process in making this book.

Preview pages from the book at The Getty Store website.

Between the Lines by Sandra Neil Wallace

Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery

Sandra Neil Wallace; Illustrations by Bryan Collier

Simon & Schuster. 2018

ISBN: 9781481443876

Grades 3 and up

To write this review, I used a copy sent by the publisher.

As a child, Ernest Barnes loved to paint. He would wait until the backyard turned to mud after a North Carolina rain. Painting mud.  With a stick, he drew lines: straight, curved, loops, and lines that crossed. Growing up in the segregated South of the 1940’s, Barnes introduction to the master painters was at the house of a white lawyer where his mother was a housekeeper. The first time Ernest saw a room full of leather books and mahogany frames “that Mama polished, he stared at the beautiful paintings in the frames.”

Though he never left the house without a sketchbook, it was his talent as a football player that allowed Ernest to attend college on a football scholarship. After college, Barnes would play for the American Football League until 1964. when he became the Official Artist for the American Football League and was paid a football players salary. 

In this compelling narrative, Wallace conveys Barnes determination to fulfill his dream of one day making his living as an artist. Born in 1938, Barnes was one of the most important artist of his time. Known for his style of elongation and movement, his work has influenced a generation of illustrators and painters. 

The book is beautifully illustrated by Bryan Collier, four-time Caldecott Honor recipient, six-time Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award recipient, and three-time Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award recipient. The book’s art is rendered in watercolor and collage. In his illustrator’s note, Collier states, “There are areas where I show you the actual art of Ernie Barnes with his signature exaggerated figures in expressive motion.” 

This informational picture book biography will be of interest to sports fans, and those who someday dream of being a professional artist. Back matter includes an author and illustrator’s note, source notes for quotes, and a bibliography to learn more about Ernie Barnes. Wallace also includes places where you can see Ernie Barnes’s paintings. 

Louise

Meet Cindy Sherman: Artist. Photographer. Chameleon By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Meet Cindy Sherman: Artist. Photographer. Chameleon

By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan.  

Roaring Brook Press. 2017

ISBN: 9781626725201

Note: While Cathy is on Sabbatical, Louise will be writing all the reviews. Cathy will return in March, 2018.

 

There was once a girl who loved playing dress up and pretending to be someone else. “She put tape on her face and pulled it into strange shapes to look like a ghoul. She painted herself with poster paint and took the train into New York city with her friends to spend an afternoon “fake” shopping as the paint peeled off her eyelids.”

In this absorbing biography, Greenberg and Jordan do an excellent job of highlighting the fascinating, creative process of Cindy Sherman. In her work, Untitled Film Stills, Sherman would dress herself up in various costumes and photograph herself in any spot that interested her. When she develop the film it would look cracked and grainy. Sherman wanted her photos to resemble black-and-white film stills that were used to promote movies. The project was done over four years and included sixty-nine images.

To this day, Sherman continues to do many interesting photograph series with herself as the main character. Her ability to totally transform herself is truly amazing.

The narrative is paired throughout with well-captioned color photographs of Sherman’s different art projects.

The book includes a section called Production Notes that takes a deeper look at the artist. One fact that stood out for me was that Sherman was the first woman artist in the world to sell a photograph for $1,000,000.  Other back matter: a bibliography, source notes, lists of artwork by Sherman.

Share this with middle and high school students.

Click here to visit the artist's website for more information about her work.

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local public library.