Wings of an Artist

How many times, when reading a good book, have you wished for the opportunity to meet with the author, ask them questions about their work, their influences and inspirations?And when reading or being read to is an important part of a child's life, it's natural to assume the desire is just as intense. "Who made this book? Its pictures? What led them to create this story and these pictures for me?" For parents and children alike, some of these questions are answered in the book "Wings of an Artist: Children's Book Illustrators Talk About Their Art" . Picture books are, for children, the introduction to the worlds of both literacy and art appreciation. "Wings of an Artist" can be seen as a primer for both adults and children into the realm of picture books; it includes images and short statements by some of the leading children's book illustrators working today about their beginnings in the field, their early interests in art and writing and their approaches to the task at hand -- creating compelling, original and entertaining children's books. An array of artist/authors are featured, including Henrik Drescher, William Joyce, Maurice Sendak, Robert Sabuda and James Ransome -- in all, more than twenty of the most prolific and influential creators of current picture books for children. On each page, an illustrator presents an image (most were created especially for this project) and a very brief statement about their work and their introduction to the world of children's book illustration. Some recount the encouragements of parents or teachers, others speak of their early imaginations or love of drawing that led them into the career. It's a rare chance to view the styles of so many top picture book illustrators in one place. But like a sampler platter at a restaurant, you may find something you like, but the portions are too small to be really satisfying. Each artist's statement is only a paragraph or two -- some even less than that -- so it's hard to get the sense of a deep presentation of information. Think of it more as a polite introduction. Although the text of the book is sparse and surfacey, "Wings of an Artist" (italic) is (end italic) an excellent display of picture book artwork. Where the artists' statements seem cursory, their art is expressive and imaginative, showing each illustrator's particular style, technique and visual interpretation: Leo and Diane Dillon give a fanciful new look to Mother Goose, Robert Sabuda's cut-paper collage dances across the page, Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher offer a beautiful and evocative illustration of nighttime storytelling, and Maurice Sendak's 16 panel illustration is an inventive, stream-of-consciousness adventure of a small girl, her doll and an evil television. At the end of the book, "Wings of an Artist" includes an activity guide for adults and children to do together to lead children back into the book's pages and think about the words and images they've come across. It's structured to spark

Imagine for a moment that you bring together twenty or so children's book illustrators and ask them to explain in words and pictures: "What gives flight to an artist's imagination?" This is exactly what Wings of an Artist does. The result is a rich mosaic of exquisite illustrations and writing that are both inspired and inspiring. In the oversized pages, Leo and Diane Dillon discuss how they created a new version of Mother Goose. (They gave her a flying machine so she could "soar amongst the clouds with her beloved geese to faraway lands with new tales to tell.") Maurice Sendak talks about doodling. It is, he writes, "an excellent exercise for stirring up the unconscious, just as you would stir up some mysterious soup all the while hoping it tastes good." In prose and pictures David Catrow relates to the reader his confrontation with his first editor-his first-grade art teacher. And Graeme Base "shows off" a shimmering illustration of Finny, Pearl, and Bert, three undersea characters from The Sign of the Seahorse. The book concludes with "Invitations to Fly," eleven well-thought-out and enriching activities. The classroom uses for this book are countless. In one third grade classroom we read aloud from the book then discussed how the various artists used line, shape, and even color to create certain feelings in the reader. In a second grade classroom we compared and contrasted two different artists. We then did an in-depth "author/illustrator study" of Maurice Sendak. Reviewed by the Educaiton Oasis staff.

I really enjoyed reading this book and admiring the incredible artwork. This is a must for anyone interested in children's book illustration.