JACOB LAWRENCE

by Nancy Shroyer Howard ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

Most of Lawrence's works that are covered in this book--subtitled ""American Scenes, American Struggles""--such as The Great Migration, or the lives of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Toussaint L'Ouverture, involve a series of paintings that chronicle African-American history or create a biographical portrait. The approach in this Closer Look Activity Book, which sends readers through the pages for answers to multiple questions, is a little overbearing in paintings that eloquently speak for themselves. Howard offers several paths: Text printed in italics represents direct quotes; red, yellow, and green squares and progressively shrinking typeface indicate projects related to the art. Captions and cartoon bubbles further animate the paintings. The reproductions of Lawrence's work are quite good, and many of the questions help readers identify his use of symbols, understand the stories his painting tell, and learn about his life. Unlike The Great Migration (1993), which reads like a quiet walk through a gallery accompanied by the artist, Howard's book is more like a scavenger hunt through the art itself.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Sterling

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S