Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan (Roaring Brook, 2008)

Cindy: I made my first trek through Central Park just six months prior to the Gates installation and longed to return to see the saffron banners waving against the black trees and white snow. What a treat that must have been for the local folks to see their park transformed for a few short weeks. For those of us who missed it in person, this fabulous book by art biographers Greenberg and Jordan will more than do. The husband and wife team of Christo and Jeanne-Claude (born on the same day and year in separate countries) are the epitome of perseverance, working decades to get the necessary permission for their imaginative and original public art created on a truly grand scale. The book design is perfect, many photographs letting the art speak for itself as its creators do, and a fold-out spread helps to show the magnitude of the installations. As much as I would love a piece of that saffron fabric, I love the care the artists put into preserving the environments they are creating in, and recycling their materials as opposed to crass commericialization. Always controversial artists, you can put me in the fan column. I may have missed the Gates, but I'm sorely tempted to plan a family vacation to raft the Arkansas in Colorado in 2012 under the silvery fabric panels. Want to join me?
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Lynn: When Cindy first wanted to find this book I was lukewarm. I knew it was Greenberg and Jordan whose books I really admire but I admit to not knowing much about Christo and Jeanne-Claude. I had a sort of vague negative impression gained from often scornful commentators and grainy newspaper photographs. Boy was I wrong! This book knocked my socks off and opened my eyes to these amazing artists. The stunning cover leads into a series of beautiful photographs that capture the amazing scale and impact of the art. The accompanying text is fascinating and conveys both the philosophy behind the art and the artists’ admirable perseverance and attention to detail. I had no idea that the artists fund their own work nor was I aware that they recycled all project materials. If this book has been in your maybe file, move it up to must buy! It is gorgeous, inspiring - and mind-changing.

Sandy's Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrations by Boris Kulilov (Penguin/Viking, 2008)

Lynn: This exuberant picture book biography focuses on Calder’s early years and perfectly captures the love of life reflected in his art. Playful illustrations convey a sense of whimsy and delight as well as Calder’s attention to intricate detail. Especially effective are pages that show huge hands working with the tiny pieces of wire, bringing his delightful circus to life, and the pages showing a giant Calder carrying his suitcases striding over the cities. This wonderful book is sure to ignite the imaginations of budding artists and engineers of all ages! Anyone who reads this book will come away smiling. Check out this clip of Calder in his later years demonstrating the circus.
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Cindy: I really, really, love this book. Ok, I know we don't let our BBYA teens get away with such lameness, so I'll expand, but first, did I tell you that I really LOVE this book? This is a picture book that older teens and adults will enjoy as much as young children, maybe more. Stone's solid storytelling is perfectly accompanied by colorful illustrations that exemplify Calder's palate. I was familiar with Calder's mobiles, but didn't know that he had INVENTED the form. And, I'd love for Santa to leave a miniature circus animal in my stocking! There's a great story here, too, about how our childhood experiences influence who we become, and in the importance of following our dreams and interests. I just bought this book for my daughter who is planning to study math and statistics in college next year but really wants to major in art. I think this would be a great gift for many graduates as they close their suitcases, click, click, click, and head off to pursue their dreams. I really LOVE this book.

Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand

Cindy: I love authors and publishers who take a risk on books and this quirky gem delighted me when I first read it last spring. This one falls into the read-it-again-and-again category because you need multiple reads to figure out what is going on...and even then you aren't sure. The discovery of a chest of artifacts left by a photographer who worked on an archeological dig and claimed to photograph a fairy is the centerpiece of several mysteries and disappearances. What do you think happened? Even if you can't decide, the photographs and collage illustrations will delight, just as the author's 2002 book, Fairie-ality, (also published by Candlewick) did.
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Lynn: OK - I get that the pictures are cool and the book design is cooler and we're supposed to feel tantalized and eerily puzzled. Instead I finished the book feeling irritated. It was just not enough for me. It was like getting one lick of my favorite flavor ice cream, finding one shoe in the closet, restoring two sentences of a stunningly written review I forgot to save. I like my fantasies at least 300 pages long and packed with detail! This was just a beautiful tease.

Delicious: The Life & Art of Wayne Thiebaud by Susan Goldman Rubin

Cindy: How can you not love an artist who focuses on desserts? Rubin's artist biographies are always a delight and this one is no exception. It celebrates an artist who had a happy childhood and wants to create joyful art. That's a rare combo with artists! I've always loved Thiebaud's food paintings, but I now am fascinated by his farm geometric landscapes and would like to see more of his work. And, I'd love to see him draw Popeye with both hands simultaneously like Rubin reports he can do.
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Lynn: Rubin does her usual outstanding job of bringing her subject to life for young readers. It was cool that she got to actually interview Thiebaud.

Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith, illus. by E. B. Lewis

Cindy: I missed the prequel to this, The Way a Door Closes, when it first published, but hunted it down and read it, too, after reading this new sequel. 13-yr.-old C. J. struggles with a full range of emotions when his father returns to the household after a long absence. The poetry is very fine, the illustrations exquisite, and the story will touch the hearts of all who have had someone reinsert themselves in their lives. One of my favorite spreads is the one where the dad and son know that the house is no longer big enough for both of them. The illustration shows who is winning that fight. Caldecott committee, are you keeping the night watch?
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Lynn: We're conjoined souls on this fabulous book! The evocative poetry goes right to the heart and the wonderful illustrations extend and enrich the poetry for a powerful combination. This is a poetry book that will make converts out of people who think they don't like poetry. I love how this book speaks to the issue of changing family roles. So many of us have experienced that whether it is a traveling spouse, shift changes, divorce, stepfamilies etc. and this captures the complexity of emotions that lies beneath the question of who locks the door at night. Now I'd never tell an award committee what to do but....:-)

A River of Words:The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jennifer Bryant

Cindy:

This is Just to Say...





I have eaten
the words
that were in
this biography

and which
were so beautifully
illustrated
for devouring

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so filling

This is a beautiful book from end paper to end paper. The simple biography of how this physician made time in his day to write poetry is perfectly illustrated with Melissa Sweet's collages. I love the inclusion of his poetry drafts typed on his prescription pads. I hope those were authentic! This would pair nicely with LOVE THAT DOG and the newly released HATE THAT CAT by Sharon Creech. Of course, it is also for poetry lovers of all ages.
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Lynn: Yes! We agree completely here.This enchanting book succeeds in so many ways. As a biography of Williams it is informative, interesting and inspiring. As an introduction to Williams' poetry is it provides wonderful examples in unique ways that yield an almost irresistible impulse to run to the library for more. Visually this book is a gem, with treasures to be found on every page. It is a book that inspires a reader to linger.