Synergy: Artist Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn (1898-1969) was a Lithuanian born, American social realist artist and educator. Through his paintings, murals, prints, photographs, and illustrations, he told the stories of civil rights activists, political protestors, and ordinary people facing injustice.

Read the biographical picture book for youth, then learn more at the websites:

THE PEOPLE’S PAINTER: HOW BEN SHAHN FOUGHT FOR JUSTICE WITH ART written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk tells the true story of a boy who escaped injustice and spent his life sharing the stories of others who faced persecution. Notes, a timeline, and resources are useful in learning more about this artist.

The Archives of American Art contains collections, oral histories, and digital reproductions of the work of BEN SHAHAN.

To visit this collection, go to https://s.si.edu/34ytHjt

BEN SHAHN: PASSION FOR JUSTICE is an award-winning PBS documentary telling the story of this socially engaged artist. Told through interviews and examples of his work, excerpts from this documentary would be useful in helping students understand the continued relevance of this artist.

To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/LFYwcq0veXc

ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Book Review: Vincent and Theo

VINCENT AND THEO: THE VAN GOGH BROTHERS by Deborah Heiligman is an engaging nonfiction narrative exploring the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo.

The story is told through a series of galleries that contain very short chapters. Works of art introduce these galleries. Each section explores a different time period in the lives of the Van Gogh brothers. Much of the story is told through the letters written among family members.

The book contains a timeline, author’s note, biography, thank you, endnotes, and an index. In addition, the book contains a series of full-color plates.

Librarians will find that Heiligman’s conversational writing style will immerse readers in the world of the Van Gogh brothers. Use this title as part of a nonfiction narrative literature circle or nonfiction young adult book club.

Published by Henry Holt on April 18, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Radiant Child

THE RADIANT CHILD by Javaka Steptoe is an award-winning picture book telling the story of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Winner of the 2017 Caldecott Medal for children’s illustrator, this biography shares the true story of a boy who dreamt of becoming an artist. The book concludes with a biographical sketch, information about the artist’s work, and a note from the author/illustrator.

Like artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Steptoe used a variety of found materials to create the artwork for this fascinating work.

Librarians will find this picture book to be an effective tool for teaching about biographies along with an inspirational resource for young artists.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to http://www.javaka.com/.

Published by Little Brown, an imprint of Hachette. ARC courtesy of the publisher.