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Black Artists Shaping the World by Sharna Jackson and Zoe Whitely

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Oct 2021

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“In its fullest life, this book should travel much further than a niche museum gift shop offering into classrooms and community spaces filled with Black youth as a platform for, and a celebration of, Black artistic innovation. Delivers a magnificent assemblage of Black artists we all need to know and cherish.” KIRKUS

Sharna Jackson’s experience as a children’s author who has worked for over a decade in the cultural sector, both at Tate in London and at Site Gallery in Sheffield, is combined here with the curatorial expertise of Dr Zoe Whitley, Director of London’s Chisenhale Gallery and co-curator of the landmark Tate exhibition ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’. Their book features artists working in a variety of media from painting, sculpture and drawing to ceramics, installation art and sound art. Artists featured include British Turner Prize-winning painters Lubaina Himid and Chris Ofili; renowned South African visual activist Zanele Muholi; Nigerian sound artist Emeka Ogboh; Sudanese painter Kamala Ibrahim Ishag; Kenyan-British ceramicist Magdalene Odundo; African-American artists Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley; performance artist Harold Offeh; and moving image artist Larry Achiampong.

The result is a refreshingly contemporary celebration of Black artists at work today that will serve as inspiration to a new generation of aspiring young artists.

As can be expected of a book published by Thames & Hudson, it is a very pleasingly designed hardback title:

blackartistspread

The Weather: Pop-up Book by Maike Biederstadt

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In her hugely successful books Creatures Of The Deep and What’s In The Egg, as well as her enormously popular series of greeting cards for the Museum of Modern Art, Maike Biederstaedt has established herself as one of the preeminent paper artists working today. Now Biederstaedt takes book engineering to new heights as she immerses readers in five electrifying weather scenarios. As each spread unfolds, a meticulously designed landscape emerges–a freighter balances like a nutshell between high waves in the sea; a tornado takes terrifying aim at a truck trying to outrun it; a rain-spewing storm cloud towers like a skyscraper over a farm house. Nature’s delicate beauty emerges in the intricate shapes of a snowflake and in the luminous arc of a rainbow. Each page features an informative description of its weather event and the book closes with sobering commentary on the effects of climate change.

A wondrous introduction to weather for budding climatologists, this is also an artistic tour de force that collectors will treasure.

The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden ill. Hanna Luechtefeld

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Jul 2021

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“Luechtefeld’s orderly panels employ a deliberate earth-toned palette, starting with a decidedly dark feel and gradually lightening as the characters move through their own personal struggles with grief. The core of Burnett’s tale is present… often ably conveyed in lovely wordless scenes.” KIRKUS
“The parallels between the tending of the garden and character development within the story are reflected in the beautiful, hand drawn–style artwork, which gradually brightens from a washed-over neutral palette to lighter.” SLJ

It’s always of interest when classic children’s books are given new life in graphic novel form. Mariah Marsden’s adaptation omits certain elements from the original book but the key narrative elements remain. It is Hanna Luechtefeld’s atmospheric visual panels that make this presentation of the story so appealing.


At the back of the book, readers can learn about the life of Frances Hodgson Burnett and the history of British colonialism that contextualizes the original novel.

Follow Hanna Luechtefeld, a highly interesting and prolific illustrator, zine enthusiast and gallery curator/director from Kansas City, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannaluechtefeld/

Line and Scribble by Debora Vogrig ill. Pia Valentinis

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Jun 2021

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“Author Vogrig’s taut, spare narrative leaves ample space for readers to see their own personalities in the story while Valentinis’ illustrations of simple black lines accented with details of red on rich white paper do a superb job of presenting just enough and not too much, encouraging the engagement of readers’ imaginations. The clean sans-serif typeface is also red, visually tying the book’s design together. As the tension of the story escalates, the font size increases—a highly effective (and fun to read aloud) design aspect. Beyond enjoying the straightforward accomplishments of Line and the spontaneous creativity of Scribble, readers may arrive at a deeper understanding of their own unique qualities and how difference contributes to the richness and variety of friendships and diversity. Lovely to look at; profound to ponder.” KIRKUS

A picture book that celebrates imagination and friendship through simple shapes.

Line and Scribble do things differently. Line goes straight while Scribble wanders. Line walks a tightrope as Scribble bursts into fireworks. Line likes to draw with a ruler, and Scribble, well . . . doesn’t. But no matter how different they may seem, Line and Scribble always have enough in common to be best friends.

https://youtu.be/i861I9xBWns?t=518

* A friendship story that embraces differences instead of competing
* Emphasizes how imagination, creativity, and art can change how we see the world-and each other
* Promotes visual literacy, recognition, and learning to make connections

From constellations to roller coasters and breadsticks to bubbles, Line and Scribble shows how the two can come together to create beautiful, moving, and delightfully unexpected results.

Check out the illustrator’s website: http://www.piavalentinis.com

The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau by Jon Agee

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Feb 2021

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A new printing of this now-classic picture book.

“Outrageous!” the judges cried. “Ridiculous!” Who would dare enter a portrait of a duck in the Grand Contest of Art? But when Felix Clousseau’s painting quacks, he is hailed as a genius. Suddenly everyone wants a Clousseau masterpiece, and the unknown painter becomes an overnight sensation. That’s when the trouble begins. The concept and plot are clever and beautifully constructed with twists and turns, and Jon Agee’s trademark wit, humour and sense of the surreal. A playful examination of what realism in art actually means, and the difference between 2 and 3 dimensional.

Jon Agee’s website: http://www.jonagee.com

Milo Imagines The World by Matt de la Pena ill. Christian Robinson

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New York Times Best Books Of 2021

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“This poignant, thought-provoking story speaks volumes for how art can shift one’s perspectives and enable an imaginative alternative to what is…or seems to be.” HORN BOOK

A warm and richly satisfying story from award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book duo Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson about a little boy with a big imagination who learns that you can’t know anyone just by looking at them. Set in a bustling city, and full of a family love that binds even in difficult circumstances.

Milo is on a train journey through the city with his older sister, looking at the faces of the other passengers and drawing pictures of their lives. The whiskered man with a crossword puzzle he imagines playing solitaire in a cluttered flat full of pets. The little boy in bright white trainers he imagines living in a castle with a moat and a butler. But when the little boy gets off at the same stop and joins the same queue as him, Milo realises that you can’t judge by appearances and that we are all more alike than we are different: both boys are visiting their mothers in prison.

Follow Christian Robinson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartoffun/

Rembrandt Conspiracy by Deron R. Hicks

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“A suspenseful mystery romp with art appreciation and heartening trust in readers’ intelligence.” KIRKUS, on The Van Gogh Deception, a previous Lost Art Mystery by Hicks.

Something’s brewing at the National Portrait Gallery Museum in Washington, D.C. twelve-year-old Art is sure of it. But his only proof that a grand heist is about to take place is iced mocha, forty-two steps, and a mysterious woman who appears like clock work in the museum. When Art convinces his best friend, Camille, that the heist is real, the two begin a thrilling chase through D.C. to uncover a villainous scheme that could be the biggest heist since the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum theft in 1990. With a billion dollars’ worth of paintings on the line, the clock is ticking for Art and Camille to solve the conspiracy.

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Art Is Life: The Life of Artist Keith Haring by Tami Lewis Brown ill. Keith Negley

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Keith Haring believed that art should be enjoyed by everyone, not just those with the money or inclination to visit museums. When Keith moved to New York City in 1978, he rode the subway and noticed that the crowds were bored and brusque, and the subways were decayed and dreary. He thought the people of New York needed liberating, illuminating, and radiating art. So he bought a stick of white chalk and started drawing. This picture book biography explores Keith Haring’s life and shows why his art continues to resonate with people. You can still see his ubiquitous designs gracing billboards, posters, clothing, and more. Keith Negley’s bold, energetic illustrations evoke Keith Haring while maintaining a style all their own.

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Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn’t Sorry by Fausto

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“In each book, the Italian author  and illustrator combines inky black and white with a single pop of colour… while his bug-eyed, zany artists recall the Minions from Despicable Me but with art history degrees and sharp suits.” Imogen Carter, The OBSERVER

A clever, quirky read-aloud biography of a leading modern artist…
Artist Yves Klein always thought about how he could surprise his audience. One day, he decided that he would only paint in one color – blue. He painted canvases, globes, branches, gallery floors, and even covered people in blue paint. Klein’s story is told here with wit and eccentricity, perfectly paired with black-line illustrations and blue splashes galore. Fausto Gilberti brings movement, life, and whimsy to the true life story of one of the most important modern French artists of our time.

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