A brilliant, knockout collaboration—one that will continue to excite, provoke, and engage kids and their grown-ups.
Iconic British postwar realist painter Hockney and art critic Gayford have reimagined their art-history survey for adults, A History of Pictures (2016), with judicious, kid-friendly editing, inventive design, clever pacing, smart and spot-on examples, and the bright, fresh illustrations of fellow Brit Blake.
Best experienced as a practiced and delightfully immersive conversation between friends who love to think, talk, argue, teach, and most of all, really look at pictures and make art, this edition includes eight well-organized and provocatively themed chapters, ranging from “making marks” to “light and shadows,” from “mirrors and reflections” to photography, movies, and, finally, computer art. (Hockney is both an expert on lenses as painting tools used by the Old Masters and a modern master of iPad paintings.) Blake’s contributions on each page act as a visual descant of sorts, adding notes of color and whimsy. A winding path takes cartoon characters (all white) from The Last Supper to Nighthawks to demonstrate their storytelling similarities, for instance. Her abundant full-page and spot art includes portraits of the artist and the critic exploring the real world and the world of art. Hockney’s famous dogs, Stanley and Boodgie, also have cameos. Examples are heavy on the Europeans, but select East Asian examples expand the scope somewhat.
A brilliant, knockout collaboration—one that will continue to excite, provoke, and engage kids and their grown-ups. (timeline of inventions, glossary, notes, bibliography, list of illustrations, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3211-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
A standout among writing guides, valuable for its sage and friendly encouragement and for the sheer fun of hanging out with...
Advice on writing from one of the best writers around.
“I’m a writer and I’m on your side,” Gantos says, as if he’s putting an arm around a young writer’s shoulder and guiding them through a door to a new life. With a snappy voice, his own funny ink drawings, and expertise drawn from a career full of great books, he covers just about everything: where to find ideas and characters, how to structure a story, why to keep a journal, and even what to write with. Every step of the way he includes examples from his own writing. As humorous as he is, Gantos is authoritative and serious about his craft, careful to include every building block for constructing a good story—characters, setting, problem, action, crisis, resolution, and the need for a double ending (physical and emotional). Chapter 2 (“Getting Started”) ought to be read by all teachers and parents: it’s a manifesto on how to raise a reader (and writer) by reading aloud excellent picture books to young children and placing good books in the hands of children as they get older, and he offers a handy list of just what some of those books should be. While his list of picture books is not a particularly diverse one, the middle-grade titles suggested are nicely inclusive.
A standout among writing guides, valuable for its sage and friendly encouragement and for the sheer fun of hanging out with Jack. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-374-30456-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A likable journey that is sensitive to the triumphs and agonies of being a 13-year-old girl.
Shannon just wants to get through eighth grade in one piece—while feeling like her own worst enemy.
In this third entry in popular author for young people Hale’s graphic memoir series, the young, sensitive overachiever is crushed by expectations: to be cool but loyal to her tightknit and dramatic friend group, a top student but not a nerd, attractive to boys but true to her ideals. As events in Shannon’s life begin to overwhelm her, she works toward finding a way to love and understand herself, follow her passions for theater and writing, and ignore her cruel inner voice. Capturing the visceral embarrassments of middle school in 1987 Salt Lake City, Shannon’s emotions are vivid and often excruciating. In particular, the social norms of a church-oriented family are clearly addressed, and religion is shown as being both a comfort and a struggle for Shannon. While the text is sometimes in danger of spelling things out a little too neatly and obviously, the emotional honesty and sincerity drawn from Hale’s own life win out. Pham’s artwork is vibrant and appealing, with stylistic changes for Shannon’s imaginings and the leeching out of color and use of creative panel structures as her anxiety and depression worsen.
A likable journey that is sensitive to the triumphs and agonies of being a 13-year-old girl. (author's note, gallery) (Graphic memoir. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-31755-1
Page Count: 320
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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