Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. (2007?). Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children about Their Art. Philomel Books: ISBN 9780399246005.

In Artist to Artist, twenty-three esteemed children's illustrators/authors write a letter to children sharing anecdotes about their art and how they came to do what they love professionally. Each entry is a window into who the artist is and why (or how) they make their art. There are no questions or expectations, so the illustrators are free to communicate whatever inspires them.

The emotion and personality portrayed in each autobiography will attract children and adults, hopefully inspiring them to become the next generation of great illustrators. In Eric Carle’s introduction he writes, “I hope that you will enjoy and benefit from these wonderful letters that come right from the heart and soul and memory, right from the sources out of which so much creativity flows.”

Each spread contains a letter from the artist and a self-portrait. Behind each portrait lies a nifty foldout page with examples of their early work, sketches or finished samples of art, and pictures of their studios and materials. Some artists chose to draw their studio, provide technique explorations, or simply have fun telling their ‘artstory.’ From fine traditional oil paintings to friendly pop-out astronauts there is something for every artist between these pages. Self-portraits of each of the contributors put the finishing touch on this album of amazing artists.

Contributing Illustrators include:
Mitsumasa Anno

Quentin Blake

Ashley Bryan

Nancy Ekholm Burkert

Eric Carle

Tomie dePaola

Jane Dyer

Mordicai Gerstein

Robert Ingpen

Steven Kellogg

Leo Lionni

Petra Mathers

Wendell Minor

Barry Moser

Jerry Pinkney

Alice Provensen

Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart

Maurice Sendak

Gennady Spirin

Chris Van Allsburg

Rosemary Wells

Paul O. Zelinsky

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“The end result is a gorgeous, browsable gallery of international treasures, with a behind-the-scenes tour led by the generous and gifted creators themselves.” Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library -- School Library Journal, 9/19/2007. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

“These letters are gifts from the heart of the artists, who share bits of their souls with readers. For children interested in how books are made, how art is created, or just crazy about creating art of their own, this book will help them recognize that becoming an artist is not only a process that requires dedication, practice and passion, but also an endeavor that can last a lifetime.” http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/74
(This is a neat blog that connects children's literature to teaching Math, Science, and Social Studies. A thematic book list makes it easy to hunt down books on particular topics)

CONNECTIONS

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the first full-scale museum in this country devoted to national and international picture book art… it is the Museum’s goal to foster connections between visual and verbal literacy and to provide visitors of all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to explore their own creativity and the confidence to appreciate it.

Celebrate Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week (first week of February): Fun to recognize pictures from a familiar book and make connections between the illustrators and the pictures. Write a letter (or an email) to a favorite author or illustrator. Create a display of books by authors and/or illustrators in your local area or state. Invite one or more of these authors to give a presentation in your classroom or library.