The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon

The True Story
of Alan Bean

Orchard Books
(Scholastic)
(pub. 5.28.2019) 
40 pages

A True Tale with

A Cherry On Top   

A uthor: Dean Robbins
      and illustrator:  Sean Rubin

 
C haracter: Alan Bean

O verview: 
     "The  Apollo 12 mission rocketed through the sky, beyond Earth's orbit, and finally landed on the  Moon. Astronaut Alan Bean placed his foot on the ground and became the fourth person to walk on the Moon's beautiful, barren surface. When he returned, Alan began to paint what he saw. He wanted the world to feel the magic and mystery that he felt out there, 240,000 miles away from home.
     The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon is for any reader who has ever longed to know what it is like in outer space, for any reader who has ever created art to express how they feel, and for any reader who has ever wondered what it's like to walk on a new world."

T antalizing taste: 
     "The shaking stopped as the spacecraft gained speed. Alan was in outer space! He had trained for so long as an astronaut and a scientist, and soon he would walk on the Moon! 
     Alan gazed out the window, marveling at the shapes and colors in space. The sky turned to black. The Earth was a blue and white ball glowing in the darkness. The Moon was many shades of gray. Its mountains and craters seemed bigger the closer he got."

And something more: The Author's Note explains that "Bean returned home to a hero's welcome... He flew another mission into space but left NASA in 1981 to work on his painting... Bean's paintings combined his skills as a scientist and an artist. He used exact measurements for the details, but he also used imagination to capture the dizzying sensation of walking on the Moon. By sprinkling his paintings with Moon dust, scraping them with Moon tools, and stamping them with Moon boots, he tried to make a direct connection with his experiences in Space."

Just Behave, Pablo Picasso!

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Rasco From RIF

Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic)

(pub. 2.1.2012)  48 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jonah Winter

     and Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes

C 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?

    

Drawing From Memory

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Playing by the Book

Scholastic Press

(pub. 9.1.2011)  72 pages 

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Allen Say

C haracter: himself - Caldecott Medalist Allen Say

 

O verview from the jacket flap: 

         "This is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his 'spiritual father.' As World War II raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained and ultimately came to understand who he really is." 

 

T antalizing taste: 

     "'You are going to the great land of freedom,' he said. 'But remember that no man is entirely free of anything. Artists are bound to their art. Be true to your art, Kiyoi, and journey well.'
     'Show them how good you are,' Tokida said, and he gave me a smile to remember.
     'Good-bye, brother. Good-bye, Sensei.' I was glad they didn't look back. I was sobbing in public."

and something more:   I was fascinated not only by the autobiographical story of Allen Say and his artistic journey and connections, but also by the format of Drawing From Memory -- part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, complete with photographs and illustrations by Allen Say.
       In the touching Author's Note, Allen Say refers to an old Japanese saying he first heard from his mother - "Let your dear child journey."  I think that's so lovely, and truly a goal for me as a children's book author.  And I echo the wish for all creative people, especially children's authors,"Be true to your art ... and journey well."

Odetta

The Queen of Folk

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday 

hosted today by Practically Paradise

Scholastic House
(pub. 12.1.2010)  40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top
  
A uthor of the idea and Illustrator: Stephen Alcorn

      and Poem: Samantha Thornhill 

C haracter: Odetta

 

O verview from the jacket flap: 

        "Born in Birmingham, Alabama, this child soon learned to make a whole heap of noise on her auntie's piano. Then she discovered her own instrument - a voice full of brass and thunder! And, oh, did she have songs to sing - spirituals gospel, and work songs. With the help of Baby her guitar, Odetta blazed a musical trail for a generation of folksingers. Her life and times are presented here in a poetic narrative embellished with luminous paintings that create a loving tribute to folk music's queen."

 

T antalizing taste:

       "Odetta found freedom by accident the day she opened her mouth, then closed her eyes and sang. For once she saw no color. That's when she shook hands with Harmony!"

and something more: "Ode to Odetta" at the end of Odetta - The Queen of Folk includes a wonderful photo of Odetta and Stephen Alcorn taken by his wife, Sabina Alcorn.  I was fascinated to learn that "Odetta is the one Bob Dylan credits for his decision (made while still a teenager) to trade in his electric guitar for an acoustic one, thus heralding his entry into the realm of folk music."  What a gift that was to music!