Review of A Flash of Color & Light

A Biography of Dale Chihuly

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Cover of picture book biography A Flash of Color & Light

Little Bigfoot

(pub.10.15.2024)

48 pages

Ages 5 - 9

Author: Sharon Mentyka

   Illustrator: Shelley Couvillion

Character: Dale Chihuly

Overview:

" Travel along with Dale Chihuly on his life’s journey full of curiosity, discovery, teamwork, and perseverance as he overcomes challenges to become a glass artist of international acclaim.

Dale Chihuly’s early life presented many challenges, such as tragic losses in his family at a young age and an accident that left him blind in one eye, yet his resilience, hard work, and optimism taught him life-long skills that became inseparable from his body of work—incomparable glass creations."

Tantalizing taste:

"In gardens, galleries, and museums, visitors discovered Cylinders, Baskets, and Seaforms that seemed as if they'd been plucked out of nature; hothouses filled with blooming glass flowers just like in Dale's mother's garden; and canoes filled with glass Floats that recalled the marbles he played with as a boy.

Dale's pieces got bigger, bigger, and BIGGER still, until he was making some of the most enormous glass sculptures imaginable!"

And something more: At the back of the book, A Transformative Life explains that "Dale's lifelong love of the Pacific Northwest has been instrumental in nurturing the region's growth as a major glassblowing center - one that rivals Murano, Italy, where Dale first saw glassblowing teams at work. Today, more than one thousand glass artists live and work in the region, and the magnificent Chihuly Bridge of Glass welcomes visitors to his hometown of Tacoma."

Review of A Voice of Hope

The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Philomel

(pub. 9.24.2024)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Nadia Salomon

   Illustrator: London Ladd

Character: Myrlie Evers-Williams

Overview :

" Myrlie Evers-Williams’ voice is gentle yet strong, soft yet powerful. It is a soaring song of hope.

Myrlie’s voice didn’t start out that way. She was born into the segregated South and the beautiful brown color of her skin made her a target for hate. It meant she didn’t have the same opportunities as white children, and that meant her dream of playing music onstage one day would be harder to achieve. But this didn’t stop Myrlie.

As she grew, she marched for equal rights alongside her husband and activist, Medgar Evers. She fought against Jim Crow laws and for voting rights. She became the chair of the NAACP, and finally she realized her dream of performing at Carnegie Hall. After that, as a voice for hope and change, Myrlie spoke at President Obama’s second inauguration, inspiring a nation."

Tantalizing taste:

"Throughout her life, Myrlie had pushed against racism. She gave much of herself to impact change – and she never forgot her grandmother's words.

On that chilly January day, on the steps of the Capitol, Myrlie reminded the world that even a quiet voice can grow powerful.

Her voice rang out like a symphony –

Strong. Soft. Soaring.

And her words echoed hope."

And something more: The author, Nadia Salomon, shared in the Author's Note: "I interviewed Myrlie Evers–Williams one day before the anniversary of her late husband Medgar Ever's death…She graciously granted the interview because I was the only journalist in the room to ask about the significance of the photos on the poster board. She spoke about her life and explained why she chose those eight specific photos. Curiosity landed me a very heartfelt conversation with Ms. Evers-Williams. I learned a lot about her, her hurt, and her life's purpose. For that, I am grateful. I made a promise to one day do something special with the interview. I share it here in picture back book format for little hands and hearts to learn about her, her family's sacrifice, and her legacy."

Review of Gifts from Georgia's Garden

How Georgia O'Keefe Nourished Her Art

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Neal Porter Books

(Holiday House Publishing)

(pub. 3.19.2024)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Lisa Robinson

   Illustrator: Hadley Hooper

Character: Georgia O'Keefe

Overview:

" Most of us have heard the name Georgia O’Keeffe— she’s one of the most famous women in art history. But did you know that for most of her life, she lived on her own land in New Mexico, grew her own food, bought locally, and even made her own clothing?

Georgia’s garden and her art fed and enriched one another, just as her bean plants enriched the soil and her home-grown feasts fed her friends. In spite of the era’s prejudice against female artists, Georgia lived and thrived in her verdant sanctuary well into old age."

Tantalizing taste:

"And so,

beneath the wide skies of New Mexico,

inside adobe walls,

within this artist's imagination,

the seed of an idea took root:

to grow a garden.

A garden of her own...

Georgia grew old in her garden sanctuary,

and even when she became blind,

she continued to tend her garden and paint."

And something more: The author, Lisa Robinson, shared that "a story in the New York Times about the sale of Georgia's handwritten recipe cards inspired me to write this story. Georgia enjoyed cooking with the fruits, vegetables, and herbs she grew in her garden."

The Back Matter includes one of Georgia's cookie recipe, pecan butterballs, shown in her handwriting in the book.