by David Stabler (author) & Doogie Horner (artist)
The series that began with Kid Presidents and Kid Athletes has a new volume that chronicles the childhoods of 16 celebrated artists—everyone from Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh to Mary Cassat, Frida Kahlo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and even Dr. Seuss! Readers will learn:
· Georgia O’Keeffe was so enthralled by nature that she once ate dirt just to see what it tasted like.
· Jackson Pollock lost the top of his right index finger in a childhood accident (and the severed tip was eaten by a rooster!).
· Andy Warhol’s favorite childhood lunch was—what else?—a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup.
Every scribble, sketch, and sticky situation comes to life in these kid-friendly and relatable stories, all with Doogie Horner’s trademark full-color illustrations. Kid Artists is a delight for budding artists and eager readers alike.
Rating: 4 Stars
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book in David Stabler's series of Kid books I've read (Kid Athletes, etc.) and I found it a good introduction into the life of these artists.
I'll admit that more than a few of these names, while familiar to me in the general sense of the word, were unfamiliar to me in terms of what they were really known for as artists. That made certain chapters a bit more difficult to enjoy, as they don't really talk about the artist's future work. A sentence or two is all you receive before going back to the artist's childhood. That's fine and all, but if you aren't familiar with the subject at hand before reading the book, you might find yourself lost.
It was interesting to learn these little stories about the artists as children, those that I knew about. One instance in particular was the story of a shield that Leonardo da Vinci once painted on commission. It sounded terrifying and like just the sort of thing that he would've loved, and clearly did, as he seemed so proud of it when showing it off to his father.
The art accompanying each story was well chosen. The artist, Doogie Horner, went with a children's comic book feel that accentuated each story well and didn't make it too serious.
I'm curious to see what these two have done in their other works regarding athletes and presidents, so I'd say this book was successful not only in interesting me in learning more about the artists themselves, but also in checking out more of this author's work about other historical figures.
All pictures, quotes, and videos belong to their respective owners. I use them here solely for the purpose of review and commentary.
No comments:
Post a Comment