4 TRUE TALES ABOUT ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS

Four Picture Book Biographies with  ...

A Cherry On Top   

A bout Asian American Artists

C haracters:   

Ruth Asawa (A SCULPTING LIFE)

Tyrus Wong (PAPER SON)

Maya Lin (ARTIST-ARCHITECT OF LIGHT AND LINES)

Gyo Fujikawa (IT BEGAN WITH A PAGE)

O verviews:

 

RUTH ASAWA - A Sculpting Life: "Ruth Asawa believed in making the world a better place. She understood that exposing children to art was one path toward that goal. Form the Japanese-American internment camps to the creation of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, Asawa's life journey is one filled with family, art, injustice, inner strength, education, and arts activism. She drew upon her transformative life experiences and worked with unconventional mediums - using lines, space, and wire to create sculptures that move people to this day."

 
PAPER SON - The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist -  

        "Before he became Tyrus Wong, he was a nine-year-old boy on a ship who left behind his mother and homeland for an unknown place his father called Gold Mountain.
      Before he was the creative force behind Walt Disney's Bambi, he was a school janitor who worked nights, painting the floors with a mop as though it was his paintbrush. 
      Before he mesmerized animators around the world with his unique style and generous spirit, he was a 'paper son.'"

MAYA LIN - Artist Architect of Light and Lines: "You may be familiar with the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial, but do you know about the artist-architect who created this landmark?

     As a child, Maya Lin loved to study the spaces around her. She explored the forest in her backyard, observing woodland creatures, and used her house as a model to build tiny towns out of paper and scraps. The daughter of a clay artist and a poet, Maya grew up with art and learned to think with her hands as well as her mind. From her first experiments with light and lines to the height of her success nationwide, this is a the story of an inspiring American artist."

IT BEGAN WITH A PAGE - How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way: "From the time she was a little girl, Gyo Fujikawa drew pictures.
     Gyo's parents had come to California from Japan looking for a better life, but sometimes Gyo felt invisible. When high school came, Gyo's teachers recognized her gift for creating beautiful art and got behind her. Art became her profession, and now her drawings were in magazines and store window displays.
     Eventually, Gyo was asked to illustrate picture books for children. She envisioned a diverse cast of characters, explaining that she wanted 'an international set of babies...' in the pages of books.
     Had it ever been done before?
     Not yet."

T antalizing taste:   

If you'd like to learn more about these 4 picture book biographies about Asian American artists, please visit my complete reviews on this blog to see a "Tantalizing Taste" of text from each book. And also read the"Something More" in each review that discusses what intrigues me about each book: 

Ruth Asawa (A SCULPTING LIFE) by Joan Schoettler & illus. Traci Van Wagoner

Tyrus Wong (PAPER SON)  by Julie Leung & illus. Chris Sasaki

Maya Lin (ARTIST-ARCHITECT OF LIGHT AND LINES) by Jeanne Walker Harvey & illus. Dow Phumurik

Gyo Fujikawa (IT BEGAN WITH A PAGE) by Kyo Maclear & illus. by Julie Morstad