When Mr. Mendoza arrives in the rich green town of Rosario, which bubbles with humidity and the smell of mangoes, the self-proclaimed "Graffiti King of all of Mexico" changes the small village forever. In a starred review, Kirkus said, "Urrea's delightful tale of morality and meaning is rendered masterfully by Cardinale's boisterous illustrations, their bold outlines providing heft to the surrealism." After reading Luis Alberto Urrea's story, Christopher Cardinale went straight to his sketchpad, but he realized that he could not rely on photos alone for his images. So he traveled to Rosario in Sinaloa, Mexico. "There, I saw the landmarks that came to life in Luis's writing and I sketched portraits of the townspeople," says the artist. "Through this process I attempted to absorb some of the magic of the place to bring back to my drawing table in Brooklyn with the hopes that it would soak into the graphic novel."
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Pub info:
Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush
Luis Alberto Urrea; illus. by Christopher Cardinale
Cinco Puntos / June / 9781933693231 / $16.95 paperback / ages 13 & up
