An imperfect but worthwhile portrait of two unique collectors of modern art and the artists who surrounded them.
“Dorothy and Herbert lived for ART.”
When the term art collector is used, a librarian and a postal worker don’t usually come to mind. But Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, formerly painting students themselves, were bitten by the art bug. Beginning in the 1960s, they lived frugally, saved their money, and “if Dorothy and Herbert liked the art, could carry it in a cab or subway…move it up the elevator, and fit it into their tiny Upper East Side apartment, they bought it,” filling their small apartment from floor to ceiling with exciting pieces. Lyrical, energetic text and memorable, innovative illustrations (including a particularly dramatic double gatefold) capture the Vogels’ love of art and the artists of New York’s SoHo community, show how Dorothy and Herbert became mentors and hosts, and include interesting details. There is no list of the art and artists depicted, though the illustrator’s website contains a key and includes web-based resources, many on Wikipedia. While the text is sometimes a bit vague (it explains that they decided to “share [their collection] with the world” without explicitly stating that instead of selling or showing it, they donated it), overall, this is a warm and thoughtful depiction of the two collectors as well as an engaging introduction to the world of modern art. The title characters are White; street scenes reflect New York City’s racial diversity.
An imperfect but worthwhile portrait of two unique collectors of modern art and the artists who surrounded them. (author’s note, illustrator’s note, glossary, sources) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-951836-21-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Cameron + Company
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A picture book more than worthy of sharing the shelf with Alan Schroeder and Jerry Pinkney’s Minty (1996) and Carole Boston...
A memorable, lyrical reverse-chronological walk through the life of an American icon.
In free verse, Cline-Ransome narrates the life of Harriet Tubman, starting and ending with a train ride Tubman takes as an old woman. “But before wrinkles formed / and her eyes failed,” Tubman could walk tirelessly under a starlit sky. Cline-Ransome then describes the array of roles Tubman played throughout her life, including suffragist, abolitionist, Union spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad. By framing the story around a literal train ride, the Ransomes juxtapose the privilege of traveling by rail against Harriet’s earlier modes of travel, when she repeatedly ran for her life. Racism still abounds, however, for she rides in a segregated train. While the text introduces readers to the details of Tubman’s life, Ransome’s use of watercolor—such a striking departure from his oil illustrations in many of his other picture books—reveals Tubman’s humanity, determination, drive, and hope. Ransome’s lavishly detailed and expansive double-page spreads situate young readers in each time and place as the text takes them further into the past.
A picture book more than worthy of sharing the shelf with Alan Schroeder and Jerry Pinkney’s Minty (1996) and Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson’s Moses (2006). (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2047-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
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