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

 

A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez

* This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian *


Holiday House (pub. 7.31.2010)
32 pages  Grades 2-4

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top 

A uthor: DAVID A. ADLER and MICHAEL S. ADLER

              and Illustrator:  MARIE OLOFSDOTTER

C haracter: Cesar Chavez, leader of American farmworkers

O verview from the jacket flap:  "For Cesar Chavez, dignity always meant more than money. As a child growing up in California during the Great Depression, Cesar picked produce with his family to make ends meet. The work was backbreaking, the pay was very low, and many families, including his, were homeless. 

     Cesar Chavez later dedicated his life to helping American farmworkers. He argued for better pay and fair working conditions, and was even jailed for his efforts. But he never stopped urging people to stand up for their rights. Young readers will be inspired by the fascinating life story of this champion of social justice."

T antalizing taste:  "Cesar's father was often too busy to spend time with his family. It was Cesar's mom who kept them together. She told her children stories. She taught them values and many proverbs, such as 'What you do to others, others do to you.'"

and something more: In honor of Presidents' Day today, I want to highlight Cesar Chavez' 1964 award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, accepted by his wife. The Picture Book of Cesar Chavez includes President Clinton's tribute to him upon the presentation of the award: "'This remarkable man... with faith and discipline, with soft-spoken humility and amazing inner strength led a very courageous life. And in so doing, he brought dignity to the lives of so many others and provided for us inspiration for the rest of our nation's history.'"  
     The Presidential Medal of Freedom was originally established in 1945 by President Truman to honor civilian service during World War II.  In 1963, President Kennedy expanded the scope of the award to encompass "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." (Executive Order 11085)
      I like that this award includes "cultural endeavors".  As the artist and architect, Maya Lin (a Presidential Design Award recipient), has expressed, "[A]rt, at times, can look at a subject differently, and in doing so can get people to pay closer attention."
     In 1964, the year Cesar Chavez was honored, the recipients in the creative world included the soprano Leontyne Price, the artist Willem de Kooning, the composer Aaron Copland, and the authors T.S. Eliot, Carl Sandburg and John Steinbeck.
     Last week, President Obama honored the fifteen recipients of the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom. The group included three of my favorites in the creative world: the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the artist Jasper Johns, and the author and poet Maya Angelou.
     As a thought for today, Presidents' Day, here are the powerful concluding words of Maya Angelou's poem, "On the Pulse of Morning", which she recited at President Clinton's 1993 inauguration:

"Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply 
With hope
Good morning."