Book Review -- Talking to Artists (Module 1)

Non-fiction Picture Book

1. Bibliography

Cummings, Pat, ed. TALKING WITH ARTISTS, VOLUME THREE. New York: Clarion Books, 1999. ISBN 0395891329.

2. Plot Summary

This third volume of the TALKING WITH ARTISTS series focuses on the beginnings, early inspiration, and artistic training of thirteen illustrators of children’s books. These illustrators are Peter Catalanotto, Raul Colon, Lisa Desimini, Jane Dyer, Kevin Hawkes, G. Brian Karas, Betsy Lewin, Ted Lewin, Keiko Narahashi, Elise Primavera, Anna Rich, Peter Sis, and Paul O. Zelinsky. Each illustrator describes his or her early, childhood inclinations in art, training, and the process of how that led to careers in children’s book illustration for each. In the back of the book, drawing tips are provided by some of the illustrators, and each listed five favorite books for which he or she provided illustrations.

3. Critical Analysis

Each artist provides background information and anecdotes in a very casual, often humorous manner, intended for interaction with children. Rather than simply writing about the illustrators, Cummings allows the illustrators to communicate their background information for themselves. This approach makes the book flow; it seems more like the reader is meeting each person rather than simply reading about them. Within each artist profile, the artists follow up background and anecdotal information by answering questions of interest, such as whether or not they use family members and friends as models for their illustrations. Again, this allows the individual personalities of the artists to be known from their own words rather than purely through description by the editor.

Included are portraits of the illustrators as children, as well as portraits current to the publication date of this volume. Most profiles show a sample picture drawn by the artist as a child, as well as an illustration drawn by the artist as an adult, for a children’s book. This demonstrates that the illustrators began as children with interest in art and continued to pursue that interest through practice, training, and eventual acceptance by children’s book publishers. It reinforces the idea that this achievement requires effort and focus, but that the children reading this volume have the capabilities to do likewise.

This volume was easy to read and very encouraging in tone. For the child reader, it is a pep rally in print for “follow your dream,” especially if that dream involves art. For the parent or teacher, it might have a similar effect as well, or perhaps it might simply induce the adult reader to venture to the library and purposefully seek out some books by these talented artists.

4. Review Exert(s)


Awards: 1992 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction

School Library Journal review: “While many readers will find the artists' tips that conclude the volume useful, all will appreciate these insightful conversations.”

Booklist review: “A special treat for budding artists and wonderful for teachers.”

5. Connections

This book could be used to tie into books children are already reading, in also exploring the illustrators who collaborated on the craft of the book publication. In addition, it could be used to promote self-esteem in showing the students that the illustrators were once children like themselves, who simply pursued their interests in art to achieve their career as illustrators.