4.01.2012

Just Behave, Pablo Picasso!

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 
hosted today by Rasco From RIF

(pub. 2.1.2012)  48 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jonah Winter
     and Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes

haracter: Pablo Picasso

O verview from the jacket flap: 
         "Pablo Picasso may have been a world-famous artist, but that doesn't mean no one ever called his artwork 'ugly.' 
           Any kid who's been told what to draw, or heard mean things about something they made, will relate to this story about how Pablo faced down his critics and made something truly original.
           Inspiring, playful, brilliant - that was Picasso! They told him 'Just behave ...' And he almost never listened!'
     
T antalizing taste: 

     "... All anyone wants is for him to keep painting the same old picture, over and over. Well, guess what? He doesn't want to, he doesn't have to, and he's not going to!  HAH!
       ... 'But Pablo,' says a fellow artist, 'your new painting doesn't look real.'
           'Everything you can imagine,' says Pablo, 'is real.'
           And sure enough, the crazy shapes and images you see when you close your eyes are very much a part of you, just as real as what you see with open eyes."

and something more: What a great idea -- to make Pablo Picasso a superhero! Artists have always been heroes in my mind. I love Kevin Hawke's illustration of Pablo as he literally "bursts through the canvas [of a peaceful, lovely landscape painting], paintbrush in hand, ready to paint something fresh and new." 
      I'm curious about Jonah Winter's dedication in Just Behave, Pablo Picasso: "For Sofia Corporan and her students (past, present, and future)"  Perhaps his art teacher at some point?
    

4 comments:

Perogyo said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Perogyo said...

Anyone who doesn't let others' discouraging comments get them down is a hero in my mind!

What a great message for kids, plus art and history!

GatheringBooks said...

Nice! Another picture book about an artist! Will pin this in my Pinterest Board and look for it in our community libraries. Thanks for sharing!

Jeanne Walker Harvey said...

Yes! I think you'll both enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by