An articulate, attractive biography in the First Impressions series, about an artist whose paintings were as much celebrations of color as they were portraits of people and things. Although he was trained to become a lawyer, Matisse received his first box of paints at age 20 and was hooked. The brilliant colors of his early paintings made his critics label his style fauvism, but the patronage of Shchukin and a trip to Morocco helped Matisse establish his style and fascination for color. Conforming to other books in the series, this volume includes many large full- color reproductions of the artist's work, allowing readers to easily find points mentioned in the text. The writing is mature in approach, without being overly weighty, making it suitable not just for young readers, but adults with a budding interest in art. (index) (Biography. 11-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8109-4296-8
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1997
“True” in a broad sense at least, this profile of the distinctly Indiana Jones–like Roy Chapman Andrews sticks to the historical record in describing his monumental expeditions into remotest China and Mongolia. It is, however, well-stocked with invented details and dialogue—much of the latter not exactly lifelike: “The fossils are out there, Roy. Now it’s time for you to go and find them.” Cohen’s narrative unfolds along similarly heavy lines (“To get through the difficult experiences that surely lay ahead, Roy would have to rely on the lucky star that had shone down on him ever since he was a boy”). Moreover, it jumps confusingly back and forth in time, and the stingy selection of small photos hardly does justice to either Andrews’s adventures or the importance of his scientific discoveries. Young readers will be more effectively wowed by Ann Bausum’s more accurate, coherent and far better illustrated Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs (2000). (Fictionalized biography. 11-13)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4027-5706-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
If only Benedict Arnold had died sooner. Had he been killed at the Battle of Saratoga, he’d be one of the greatest heroes of American history, and “we’d celebrate his life as one of the best action stories we have.” Instead, he survived and went on to betray the colonies and die in shame. Sheinkin sees Arnold as America’s “original action hero” and succeeds in writing a brilliant, fast-paced biography that reads like an adventure novel. Opening with the hanging of Major Andre, the British officer who plotted with Arnold to turn West Point over to the British, the story sticks to the exciting illustrative scenes of Arnold’s career—the invasion of Canada, assembling America’s first naval fleet, the Battle of Valcour Island, the Battle of Saratoga and the plot with Andre, whose parallel narrative ends in a bungled mission, his execution and Arnold’s dishonor. The author’s obvious mastery of his material, lively prose and abundant use of eyewitness accounts make this one of the most exciting biographies young readers will find. (source notes, quotation notes, maps [not seen]) (Biography. 11-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-486-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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