Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten

Libba Cotton’s story is filled with fated moments in time.  Had she not been working in a department store when Ruth Crawford Seeger’s daughter was missing, and had she not been the one to find her, she might not have ended up the housekeeper in the Seeger home.  I only wonder what made her pick the guitar up and what took so long?  Her story of support by the Seeger family and a musical career starting in her 60’s is nothing short of amazing.  Laura Veirs includes a beautiful author’s note and an extensive works cited list.  I’m excited to check out some of the videos from the works cited list (maybe I’ll include one here).  And I love seeing primary source work, like the photo of Libba surrounded by her grandchildren.

Freight Train by Libba Cotten

@lauraveirs

@fazlalizadeh

Title: Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten

Author: Laura Veirs

Illustrator: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

ISBN: 978-1-4521-4587-1

Published 2018 by Chronicle Books

This book was received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

Katherine Johnson made significant contributions to NASA’s space program and yet, it has taken close to 50 years for that story to be shared with our youngest readers.  The final line of this book “She was now a star herself.” rings somewhat untrue to me.  She was still living in a time with extreme bias against her, doubly because she was a woman of color.  In the author’s note, it is indicated that she never liked to take credit because everyone worked as a team, but I think she has been deserving of credit for years and yet she was instead a “hidden figure.”  I’m glad that Helaine Becker and Dow Phumirik are bringing Johnson’s story to our youngest readers in such beautiful fashion.  I find her story inspiring as an adult and I hope that our young readers can appreciate the incredible ways in which Katherine Johnson worked to break down barriers in her field.

@helainebecker

@dowphumirik

Title: Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13

Author: Helaine Becker

Illustrator: Dow Phumirik

ISBN: 978-1-250-13752-4

Published 2018 by Christy Ottaviano Books

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

Mama Dug a Little Den

While I enjoyed reading about all of the animals that den and how and why they do so, I found myself a little bothered while reading the Author’s Note at the end of the story.  Jennifer Ward indicates she used the term “mama” loosely.  Which is important to note, but in that event, why stick with the term mama?  Maybe alternate papa?  Or only represent dens that are crafted by mother animals.  I’m not actually sure why this is bothering me, but the assumption our young readers will come away with is that the mothers create these dens in all cases and Ward is explaining that is not true.  Of the illustrations by Steve Jenkins, my favorite is that of the beaver.  My son kidsplained to me while reading that he thinks the den would really have sticks all around and you wouldn’t really be able to see into it like this.  The picture is showing it with a wall cut off so that you can see inside.  While I already knew that too, it was a nice moment where he could articulate that for me.  On the about the author/illustrator flap from the book cover, it shows the cover art of “Mama Built a Little Nest” which I recall reading for the purpose of review for CYBILS.  I’m interested to go back and see if the same information that fathers help with the crafting of nests as well (as they very well may).  As an unabashed feminist, I see a lot of work being done by the women of the animal world, but I don’t want to take away from the contributions of the gentlemen either.

Title: Mama Dug a Little Den

Author: Jennifer Ward

Illustrator: Steve Jenkins

ISBN: 978-1-4814-8037-6

Published 2018 by Beach Lane Books

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

The Truth About Hippos

Maxwell Eaton has several books in the “The Truth About…” series nominated for a CYBILS award this year and so far, after reading “The Truth About Hippos,” I’m a fan.  The comparisons between common hippos and pygmy hippos is helpful to understanding solitary and group behaviors as well as habitat differences.  The hippofile at the end sums up some of the points throughout the book and includes suggested books for further reading and a map highlighting hippo territory.  One suggestion would be to differentiate between common hippo territory and pygmy hippo territory unless there isn’t much differentiating to do?  I giggled at the comedic gems included throughout the book and look forward to reading more from Maxwell Eaton.

@maxwelleatoniii 

Title: The Truth About Hippos

Author: Maxwell Eaton III

ISBN: 978-1-62672-667-3

Published 2018 by Roaring Brook Press

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover

Curiously, I found this book in my TBR pile last night.  And the day before, my daughter happened upon the movie, The Martian.  Which, full disclosure, is not technically appropriate for 9 year olds and I’m not advocating their watching it.  But, language aside, the science is super interesting and after the fact, I realized that the Mars rover would be extra interesting to my daughter so I read Curiosity to her and we talked about how this rover was featured in the movie and how the camera was able to send still images back to NASA.  And we talked about the Jet Propulsion Lab and which parts of the movie featured that location. 

But…back to the book.  I was fascinated by the total number of missions involving exploration of Mars, including fly bys and landings.  The book focuses on the Curiosity mission, but the timeline outlines each.  I also found it interesting how each of the rovers lasted much longer than expected, what a windfall!  The book was lacking a bibliography or other sources.  For an added bonus, check this book out following the recent landing of Insight.    

Learn more about the NASA Curiosity Rover.

@MarkusMotum

Title: Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover

Author: Markus Motum

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9504-0

Published 2017 by Capstone Press

This book was received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli

I vividly recall the first time I heard the name Elsa Schiaparelli.  I was at the Art Museum in Philadelphia, but I don’t think (or recall) seeing any artwork of Schiaparelli.  Instead, I was in the shop (my mother’s favorite part of any museum) and found an item that spoke to me.  I don’t often make purchases in the shop but I felt compelled.  The object of my admiration was a purse shaped like a watering can in the color I now know to be shocking pink.  I believe it was inspired by Schiaparelli, though after reading about her shoe hat, who knows?  Kyo Maclear includes a number of sources she used in researching Bloom and perhaps I could check there to see if Schiaparelli did indeed craft a purse shaped like a watering can.  Regardless, it was quite the conversation piece throughout my young adulthood. 

You guys...I found a picture!  Can you see how I just could not resist this one.

All that to say Julie Morstad gorgeously brings Kyo Maclear’s story of Schiparelli’s evolution as a fashion designer to life.  The cover art reflects Elsa’s thought that “ to have a face covered with flowers like a heavenly garden would indeed be a wonderful thing!”.  Elsa’s seven moles on her left cheek seemed to dominate her valuation of herself and her beauty through much of her young life but in her attempt to cover those moles or deflect attention from them, she found beauty in creativity.  Her story is also that of a single, working mother who did not give up on her dream.  Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated through her art with other artists and scientists alike to bring her shocking designs and her signature shocking pink to the world.  Schiparelli’s story is one to be celebrated at any time but in the midst of the maker movement, it feels even more relevant to today’s readers and thinkers.

Title: Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli

Author: Kyo Maclear

Illustrator: Julie Morstad

ISBN: 978-0-06-244761-6

Published 2018 by Harper Collins Childrens Books

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

Steven Salerno’s artwork brings Harvey Milk’s face to light.  In looking at photographs (and being somewhat familiar with his story from the movie Milk with Sean Penn) Harvey’s face simply glowed with joy and hope for the future.  He brought that energy to the stages where he spoke to crowds and inspired others to action.  Salerno’s renderings are so lifelike they bring Harvey’s story to a new generation and by Rob Sanders’ focusing on the flag that became a symbol for Harvey’s movement, Pride shows that the movement lives on and has been embraced by so many the world over.

 

@RobSandersWrite

Title: Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

Author: Rob Sanders

Illustrator: Steven Salerno

ISBN: 978-0-399-55531-2

Published 2018 by Random House Children’s Books

This book was received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army

Much like last year’s Dazzle Ships, while reading Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army my mind was blown multiple times.  The ways in which our military creatively supported our troop’s safety and that these secrets were shielded from the public (as classified information often is) demonstrates the ingenuity of our leadership during World War II.  Long story short (and spoiler alert) artists, graphic designers, sound engineers, and weathermen (they were all men…) were recruited to be part of camouflage units and sonic companies.  They were essentially putting on a distracting show to trick the German troops and commanders into believing they were a full combat battalion armed with tanks, weapons, and communication tools.  And they were.  But all of those items (except for the communication tools) were inflatable!  Our first bounce houses were on the front lines of World War II.  Who knew?!  When I incredulously asked my husband if he knew about this, he referenced a Ken Burns special he had watched.  But I had never heard about the Ghost Army and I think readers will be VERY interested to learn more too.  There are also clues throughout the book for readers to decode messages at the back of the book, though I didn’t need those to engage with this text.  The creativity of the concept of the Ghost Army is engaging all on its own.  Paired with Dazzle Ships, Spy on History demonstrates the value our military has placed on artist’s talents to protect our country.

@Scott_Wegna

Title: Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army

Author: Enigma Alberti

Illustrator: Scott Wegener

ISBN: 978-0-7611-9326-5

Published 2017 by Workman Publishing

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

Every time I see this book title, my mind breaks into song, singing Angelica’s section from The Schuyler Sisters from Hamilton: I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine, so men say that I’m intense or I’m insane, you want a revolution? I want a revelation, so listen to my declaration: We hold these truths to be self-evident That all men are created equal. And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’ma compel him to include women in the sequel.

Anywho, the Dangerous Word is…independence.  And Thomas Paine found he had a gift for moving people to action through his writing.  He could see the results when he wrote about better pay and working conditions for tax collectors; the injustice of slavery (shortly after his writing, the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society was formed); and most famously the publication of the pamphlet titled Common Sense which was written in common language so that everyone could access the big ideas within its pages.  As a result, the colonists in America felt empowered to demand what was right.  Sarah Jane Marsh includes an author’s note elaborating on what happened to Thomas Paine.  His life was filled with ups and downs.  Marsh also includes a timeline and bibliography.  Edwin Fotheringham’s illustrative style emphasizes many of Paine’s dangerous words and the words that moved him to action as well.

@MsSarahJMarsh

@efotheringham

Title: Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

Author: Sarah Jane Marsh

Illustrator: Edwin Fotheringham

ISBN: 978-148478144-9

Published 2018 by Disney Hyperion

This book was received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Frenemies in the Family: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other’s Backs

I could NOT put this book down.  It kind of reads like a supermarket magazine, actually, but in the best possible way.  All the behind the scenes family drama I didn’t know I really wanted to know.  Kathleen Krull includes sources curated by each set of siblings which is very helpful for finding more information.  Ironically, I visited the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia just this past August with my mother and learned quite a bit about Chang and Eng Bunker there both in the section with the plaster mold of their coinjoined-ness and in the featured exhibit about the Civil War.  And (also over the summer) I read Deborah Heiligman’s Printz Award Winning (AND CYBILS Senior High Nonfiction Award Winner) Vincent and Theo. So, I’m familiar with some of the subjects of Frenemies in the Family, but within each story, I found nuggets of neatness.  I related to Steven Colbert’s mother  whose “rules” included: no fight between siblings could end without hugs and kisses; singing and dancing were always appropriate; and to never refuse a legitimate adventure.  Maple Lam’s comic illustration style brought humor to the pages, even those about sisters who REALLY didn’t like each other engaged in a pillow fight on the cover.  Kids and adults alike will love diving into the family dynamics in Frenemies in the Family.

@MapleLam

Title: Frenemies in the Family: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other’s Backs

Author: Kathleen Krull

Illustrator: Maple Lam

ISBN: 978-0-399-55124-6

Published 2018 by Crown Books for Young Readers

This book was received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers is a stellar exemplar of narrative nonfiction.  The story progresses naturally beginning with the Etruscan pygmy shrew and the Amau frog.  Both are shown with fabulous perspective with the shrew happening to fall upon the page of a book with what looks like a gigantic pencil by comparison and the Amau frog rests on the tip of a finger, smaller than the size of a fingernail.  Stephanie Laberis is a master of captivating the audience with illustrations that both entertain and educate.  My son (part of that captivated audience) was tickled by the stinky hoatzin and the smellier than a skunk (though with similar striping) zorilla.  Any readers who love animals are going to find some new underdogs to love in Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers.

@mstewartscience

Title: Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs

Author: Melissa Stewart

Illustrator: Stephanie Laberis

ISBN: 978-1-56145-936-0

Published 2018 by Peachtree Publishers

This book received from the publisher for purposes of review.

Meet My Family: Animal Babies and their Families

I am accustomed to reading poetry by Laura Purdie Salas (I’m a big fan) and even poetic nonfiction but as she delves into a more traditional nonfiction style, I’m happy to tag along for the ride.  Much like the rhesus macaque infant might take a ride on a dog.  I love that Meet My Family, a book about animal babies, mirrors our world of families taking on many shapes and sizes in the human world in 2018.  From small families to large, those with two moms, two dads, or adoptive parents, single parents, and parents who “work” away from the home, children will find a family that reflects their own reflected in the natural world.  Stephanie Fizer Coleman injects joy into each of the illustrations of unique family interactions.

@LauraPSalas

@stephaniefizer 

Title: Meet My Family: Animal Babies and their Families

Author: Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman

ISBN: 978-1-5124-2532-1

Published 2018 by Millbrook Press

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

What Do They Do With All That Poo?

I LOVE this book.  But I don’t love that I’m left wanting more.  More resources to learn more.  The book seems to reference poo practices at specific zoos like Woodland Park Zooin Seattle, but there is no back matter with more information about WormDoo.  I also want to learn more about ZooManoo, Zoo Doo, and Pachy Poo.  I realize this might sound funny, but I’m a fan of composting and this seems like a real problem that is piling up.  And I’ve never given it a second thought before but when you give kids a book about a problem, like 5,000 pounds of poo a day from one zoo, they’re going to want to think about how they can help.  Give them the information.  Kids will figure it out!  I’m interested to check out the author’s website to see if there is more information or links listed there.  Conceptually, great book.  Illustrations were executed well.  But I want more. Not more poo. 5,000 pounds is plenty.

In the meantime, I found some more info on each product - if you'd like to learn more too, check out these sites:

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle

Zoo Doo and Worm Doo

Pachy Poo

Zoo Manoo

@janekurtz

Title: What Do They Do With All That Poo?

Author: Jane Kurtz

Illustrator: Allison Black

ISBN: 978-1-4814-7986-8

Published 2018 by Beach Lane Books

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan

On the heels of the blockbuster film, The Greatest Showman, The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan (one of P.T. Barnum’s Wonders) is sure to entrance readers.  As a CYBILS reviewer, I’ve often said that truth is stranger than fiction and Anna’s story is a prime example.  Her family learned to capitalize on her height early on, showcasing her celebrity at County Fairs.  They also advocated for her continued education as she embarked on her adventure to New York to join P.T. Barnum’s Gallery of Wonders with her mother as a chaperone until age 18 and 3 years of private tutoring.  The only thing I find lacking in this book is a timeline, I think it would be helpful to follow Anna’s story in a different fashion but otherwise, I love the story and Author’s Note which elaborates on some details and provides photographs for readers as a point of reference.  The Author’s Sources are listed, including books, magazine articles, and newspapers (which also demonstrates Anna’s celebrity in her lifetime). 

A somewhat side note, I also really really like the dedications:

“To those of us who sometimes feel we do not fit.” – A.R.

“For all my friends, who think they don’t fit, the story of a brave young lady who finally did.” – M.L.

Title: The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan

Author:Anne Renaud

Illustrator: Maria LaFrance

ISBN: 978-1-77138-376-9

Published 2018 by Kids Can Press

This book was borrowed from the public library for purposes of review.

While Anna Swan doesn't seem to be a part of the film's iconic song and dance number, several of her fellow Wonders are featured here.

Teacher Appreciation Week

If you're looking for the perfect book to gift a teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week (next week, btw) I've stumbled upon a gem in "A Letter to My Teacher" by Deborah Hopkinson in previewing books for our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair.  Check out our school's online book fair through May 20th. 

Dinosaurium

Anyone who has read this blog knows my son, Elliot, is a bit…obsessed with dinosaurs.  And I may have thought we had exhausted the dinosaur books available.  It is rare that we can stump him with a dinosaur he has not already encountered in some form of media but Dinosaurium did just that.  Did you know that half of all dinosaur discoveries have happened in the past 30 years?  This does explain the vast gap in my knowledge from childhood which came predominantly from the pictures on the kids cup at Wendy’s and my son’s which comes from every available scrap of information about dinosaurs.  I had not before encountered the dinosaur classification system and family tree, known as a cladogram, that is featured in this text.  Similarly, I hadn’t previously seen the breakup of Pangea and the continental shift shown among the three different periods of the Mesozoic Era: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.  The organization of this text is very logical and will make plenty of sense to the junior paleontologist in your life.  The inclusion of extinction theories as well as survivors of the extinction help readers to understand how other creatures continued to evolve from the ancestors of the dinosaurs.  The large size (height and width) of the book Dinosaurium make it a novelty, a great gift for a dino-loving reader!

Title: Dinosaurium

Author: Chris Wormell and Lilly Murray

Published 2017 by Big Picture Press an imprint of Candlewick

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9900-0

Alma and How She Got Her Name

Alma’s name is looooong, Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela is quite the mouthful.  When Alma expresses dismay to her dad, he helps her understand where each piece of her name and consequently each piece of herself originated.  Author Juana Martinez-Neal, really Juana Carlota Martinez Pizarro so named by Victor Nicolas Martinez Gomez can relate to Alma’s struggle.  This story of family heritage and finding yourself is beautifully written and illustrated.  I love the sentiment that pieces of a name may be connected to the past but that your name is uniquely you all the same and you write your own story each day.  

Juana Martinez-Neal includes a note to give some background information which concludes with a question: What is the story of your name? What story would you like to tell?  My name is Ellen Catherine Therese Dollarton Zschunke.  I was named Ellen after my paternal grandmother Eleanor.  She was a beautiful, bright, vibrant soul whose life story was cut short by cancer when my father was just nine years old.  I wish I had known her.  But I know that her blood runs through my veins and helps me to be a better person.  

Catherine for my aunt and godmother Cathy (short for Catherine).  My aunt Cathy is a devoted and loving woman, having grown up in the same neighborhood as my aunt (and we both still live here now) we have always enjoyed a close relationship.  My aunt is a musician and singer and inspired me in my young life to sing my heart out.  As a result, I was part of chorus and continue to sing out loud any chance I get.  

Therese was the confirmation name I chose.  I really liked the name Theresa (it’s pronounced differently) but my mom decided what I really meant was Therese (I didn’t but it’s grown on me).  Theresa (spelled with an h) is apparently not the name of a saint but Teresa and Therese are.  When choosing a confirmation name in the Catholic church, it must be the name of a saint.  So that was that. Therese is also my aunt Cathy’s middle name and the name of Saint Therese of the Little Flower.  My mom went to a high school in Philadelphia called Little Flower.  That wasn’t really related to the choosing of the name, but it is a point of reference.  

My maiden name, Dollarton, is pretty unique in this area.  It is believed that it was changed at Ellis Island.  In my neck of the Pennsylvania woods, only those in my direct family have the same last name but there is another group of Dollartons who we are presumably somehow related to in Norristown which is only about a 45 minute drive from us and there is a town and highway in Canada which I have resolved to one day visit.  That name shall be carried on by my cousins and their families.  My cousin and his wife will welcome their first child this summer and the name lives on.  

The name Zschunke is the last name of my husband and his family and now our family.  It originates on the Polish/German border and is pronounced chunky.  I get many questions about this name and though I didn’t grow up with it, I love it just the same.  I often joke that my last name is how you can tell I really love my husband.

And on to the names I had the honor to choose for my own children.  What an honor and a responsibility!  The weight of a name can really carry someone or weigh them down.  My daughter, Cecelia Ann is named for my maternal grandmother and subsequently my sister, Sheila.  Sheila is the gaelic for Cecilia, which was the spelling of my grandmother’s name, but I like Cecelia with the second e and so it was.  My maternal grandmother died when I was 4 so I don’t remember much but she lives on in the many epic stories of her life.  She was a strong woman who took advantage of opportunities afforded to her and made sure that she got herself to an optimal place.  The story that sticks with me is of a trip she was on with my mother in Europe.  On a tour, she made sure she got to the front to hear and see everything and talked to everyone.  I do the same and I hope to instill the same in my daughter.  Ann was one way to bestow Cece with a name that honored many people.  Each of her paternal aunt’s and both of her grandmother’s all have the middle name Ann, my mom with an e, but we already added an e into her first name.  Though she carries a name connected to many strong women in her life, she is her own person and her name is unique among her peers.  She carries it well and I believe her name will serve her well in life.  

My son, Elliot Orion, really got his own name.  No one in either of our families is named Elliot…or Orion.  My husband and I really liked the name Elliot and, knowing him now, never has a name more perfectly fit a child.  Orion for the constellation of the hunter in the sky and his belt.  My father and I used to go for night time walks in the winter.  My father was in the Navy and could tell the time by the position of the sun in the sky and pointed out constellations on clear nights.  The only one I could consistently locate was Orion and now I have my own Orion in the constellation of our family.  Elliot Orion will chart his own course in the skies.

Names tell such rich stories.  Juana Martinez-Neal weaves a beautiful story of Alma and her name and inspires readers to reflect on their own history and future related to names.

Title: Alma and How She Got Her NameAuthor: Juana Martinez-NealPublished 2018 by Candlewick PressISBN: 978-0-76736-9355-8

May We Read Them

I've been thinking about this post for a bit now...almost a month.  March is National Women's History Month.  There is an expression, "Here's to strong women.  May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them."  I don't know from whence it originated so I apologize in advance for not attributing those wise words.  Earlier this month, a friend posted a link to an article along with "May we READ them." And being me, I got SO excited.  Then I followed the link.  And was a bit disappointed.  Here is the list, so you can decide for yourself: Authors Share Their Favorite Kids' Books About Girls Written By Women  Now, granted, these are submitted by authors, but this list struck me as...old.  And really, really white.  Granted, these are all great books and some are on the newer side, but there are SO MANY great books out there by female authors featuring strong female characters.  So...I made my own list.  These are all books I've read within the past year (according to GoodReads).  I highly recommend each of them and hope you can find something awesome to check out.

  

  

  

  

 

  

Give these fab female authors some love.  Some are authors of books listed above, and others are just authors I LOVE and want to share.  Enjoy!  And READ THEM.

Tracey Baptiste     Kelly Barnhill     Andrea Beaty     Ali Benjamin     

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley      Dori Hillestad Butler    Brandy Colbert     

Cressida Cowell     Kate DiCamillo     Shannon Hale     Jennifer Holm     

Erin Entrada Kelly     Jacqueline Kelly     Ingrid Law     Hilde Lysiak     

Kate Messner     Juana Martinez Neal     Katherine Paterson     

Celia C. Perez     Amy Krouse Rosenthal     Rachel Renee Russel     

Liesl Shurtliff     Laurel Snyder     Raina Telgemeier     Angie Thomas     

Renee Watson     Jennifer Weiner     Lauren Wolk     

Jacqueline Woodson     Nicola Yoon

Comment below with a favorite book featuring a strong female character by a fabulous female author.

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire

In looking back at Disney films, you may notice a dramatic shift in use of color that seems jarring and it was (jarring) to the “Nine Old Men” who were approving work at that time and did not approve of the use of these bright and beautiful hues.  But that didn’t stop Mary Blair and once she got started, she didn’t stop.  Well, she did stop at Disney Studios when she felt she was not able to get her ideas from the page to the screen, but she came back and was commissioned to create a ride.  You may have heard of it (and never been able to get the song out of your head too…): It’s a Small World!  Mary traveled the world and collected images that she painted in bright colors and geometric patterns that she brought back to put together to create this ride that was a quick tour around the world showing all we have in common and our unique cultural differences.  Brigette Barrager does a beautiful job of bringing Mary’s colors and shapes to life on the pages of Pocket Full of Colors and Amy Guglielmo and Jacquline Tourville work together to tell the story of this remarkable woman in a world full of men, both at Disney and in advertising.  Mary Blair’s genius and modern art brought Disney into the next phase of imagineering.

Amy Guglielmo

@amyguglielmo

Jacqueline Tourville

@jatourville

http://brigetteb.com/

Title: Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire

Author: Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville

Illustrator: Brigette Barrager

Published 2017 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 978-1-4814-6131-3