Biographies are doorways to the
past. The picture book biographies included this month partner superb
storytelling with exceptional paintings. The language used in these titles
invites young people to explore the lives of memorable men. And, these books depend on artwork
instead of photographs to convey time, place and the nature of the individual.
You can talk with your child(ren)
about the relationship between the story and the text – does one support the
other? Or perhaps, does information in the story explain what is happening in
the pictures? Possibly, do the paintings make the words more clear? In any
case, does the story make sense of the individual’s life? And, do you want to
discover more about these amazing people who lived on the edge of important
change in their world? Enjoy!
Gordon Parks: How the
Photographer Captured Black and White America
by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrations by Jamey Christoph
When
Gordon bought a used camera and taught himself to take pictures, his success
took him to Washington, DC. There, his photos for the Farm Security Administration
showed the “unfairness of segregation.” Later, he became the “first black staff
photographer and writer” at famous LIFE magazine.
Christoph’s
illustrations are an engaging mix of styles, mostly browns and sepia tones to
match a past era. Full-page spreads show Parks as a young boy. Several pages
scattered through the story are a selection of images - paintings of his
photographs. Weatherford’s lyrical language and occasional poetically aligned
text keep readers’ attention focused on this “Renaissance man.”
Parks’ most famous photo, “American
Gothic,” is of Ella Watson, “a cleaning lady in the building” where he worked.
She is standing in front of an American flag with a broom in one hand and a mop
in the other. In this one revealing photo, Parks most clearly discloses the
“African American struggle against racism and the contradiction between segregation
and freedom.”
An Afterword, Author’s Note and
several of Parks’ photos are included as back matter. The final words,
referring to Watson, echo down the years, “You don’t have to hear her story to
know her prayer.”
Albert Whitman, $16.99
Interest Level: Grades
1-3
Fur, Fins and
Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by
Cassandre Maxwell
As
a tiny child, Abraham loved animals. He dreamed of working with living animals,
and constantly read about them. As a young man he continued learning about
animal anatomy from his work preparing exhibits at the Museum of Natural
History. He became the superintendent of the zoo in mid-1800’s Britain.
The
cut-paper collage and mixed media illustrations provide color, depth and
detail. Human and animal faces and bodies are expressively crafted. Text and
pictures are matched seamlessly.
Small
stories about several animals and how “Papa” Bartlett cared for them, as a
“pioneer in veterinary medicine,” demonstrate his love for the animals. He kept
detailed records and prepared appropriate foods. He also built spaces and habitats
to house the creatures. Additionally, Bartlett posted signs and explanations.
This first labeling of animal exhibits in the zoo named the animals and shared
information with visitors.
A
Time-Line, Author’s Note, and a brief bibliography are included at the end.
Several notes are scattered across the inside front and back covers. This is an
engaging book, and a charming story.
Eerdmans, $17.00
Interest Level: Grades
1-3
The Amazing Age of
John Roy Lynch
by Chris Barton
Illustrated by Don Tate
Although
John Roy Lynch ‘s father was Irish, his mother was a slave. This meant John Roy
and his brother were also slaves in the mid-1800’s United States. But their
father, Pat, died before he could “buy” his family and treat them as free. John
Roy and his family were sold. He worked as a house slave, and later as a cotton
plantation slave. During the Civil War, when John Roy was sixteen years old, he
bought a boat ride to freedom by selling a chicken to a Yankee soldier. He
worked at several jobs until the war’s end.
Although
parts of this story are heavy with “harsh realities,” the mixed media, ink and
gouache paintings are filled with light. In spite of angry faces, a battle
scene, and slave being whipped, Lynch’s life is ultimately hopeful. He finds
work in a photography studio. This unexpectedly offers him the chance to go to
class by watching and listening from across the alley. He can hear the public
school teacher through the windows.
Lynch
buys property, gets involved in the Republican club, and makes speeches.
Visiting the new Mississippi governor, he recommends names to fill positions in
the new state government. And gets appointed himself as a justice of the peace!
Months
later he is elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives, becoming the
Speaker of the House at age 25 years. Shortly after that he is elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. He makes a passionate speech
in support of the Civil Rights Bill. This bill becomes law! (Unfortunately,
with no “means for enforcement.”)
This
is an amazing story, with a strong storyline and carefully researched,
well-matched illustrations. Back matter includes: an Historical Note, a
Timeline, an Author’s Note, an Illustrator’s Note, a list For Further Reading,
and maps of the Reconstructed U.S, 1870.
Eerdmans, $17.00
Interest Level: Grades
2-3
Additional
Fascinating Biographies:
The Streak: How Joe
DiMaggio Became America’s Hero
by Barb Rosenstock
Illustrated by Terry
Widener
Calkins Creek, $16.95
Interest Level: Grades
1-3
The Cosmo Biography
of Sun Ra
by Chris Raschka
Candlewick Press,
$15.99
Interest Level: Grades
2-3
Hello, I’m Johnny
Cash
by G. Neri
Illustrated by A.G. Ford
Candlewick Press,
$16.99
Interest Level: Grades
2-3
No comments:
Post a Comment