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THE ART OF READING
Reading is Fundamental
40 Illustrators, including me!
ISBN# 0525474846
Ages: All
96 pages
Published by Dutton Juvenile
-From School Library Journal
Starred Review.
Grade 3 Up-Forty well-known, well-loved children's book illustrators share
memories of a book (and even a comic book) seminal to their development as
readers and artists, and offer accompanying pieces of art-re-imagined from
those books. From its cozy cover image (created by the late Fred Marcellino)
of a cat and mouse companionably enthralled by the open book on which they
perch, to the satisfying thumbnail biographies appended, this is a lovingly
conceived, cohesive, and distinctively designed treasure. Each spread is
dedicated to one of the contributors; half of it is occupied by an art
piece, and half by the illustrator's reminiscence, a sidebar featuring a
cameo photo-portrait of the artist, and a vividly reproduced image of the
cover of the book (or, in Peter Sis's case, of the etching) that so captured
the imagination and sparked the flame of creativity. Most of the art was
specially created for this volume. Leonard S. Marcus's insightful and
affecting foreword sets just the right anticipatory tone for readers who
will be treated to spectacular pictures and often-moving personal
statements. In an introductory note, Reading Is Fundamental President and
CEO Carol H. Rasco says this is a book about the ability of children's
literature to change lives and open hearts. She is so right. This tribute is
a thing of beauty and a joy for anyone whose life has ever been electrified
by the experience of a book.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old
Greenwich, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.
-From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. To commemorate Reading is Fundamental's 40th anniversary, the
nonprofit literary organization asked each of 40 contemporary children's
book illustrators to write about a children's book that served as an
inspiration and then to re-imagine it in an illustration. For David Diaz the
book was S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. In his essay, he talks about getting
"myself out of the way so that I can bring [the characters] to life with my
brush," which he does expertly in his subdued yet compelling painting of
individuals packed closely together, each one alone. For Steven Kellogg, the
book was Black Beauty. For Yumi Heo, it was a collection of Korean
folktales. Some comments seem too heavily inspirational; the artists are
obviously better at what they do than how they talk about it. But this
large, handsomely designed volume will be a great introduction to artists
for adults in children's literature classes and also for older kids looking
back at how they got turned on to books. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
...a passionate tribute to the significance of books in children's lives.
Book Description
For forty years, the nonprofit literacy organization Reading Is Fundamental
has been putting books into the hands of children across America. To
commemorate its fortieth anniversary, it has brought together forty of the
most celebrated children's book illustrators working today and asked them
each to re-imagine a classic book from their childhood. The result is a
collection of beautiful and captivating images and insightful essays that
remind us how a child's early experiences with books can be powerful and
lasting-and can help to create writers and artists.This gift book includes a
foreword by Leonard S. Marcus, noted historian, author, and critic in the
field of children's literature.
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