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THE ARTS
Haidle, Elizabeth

Before They Were Artists: Famous Illustrators as Kids

64 pp. | Clarion | April, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-328-80154-8 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-358-44788-7 $12.99
(2) 4-6 Companion to Haidle's Before They Were Authors, this illustrated collective biography features six successful children's book artists with varied life circumstances: Wanda Gág, Maurice Sendak, Tove Jansson, Jerry Pinkney, Yuyi Morales, and Hayao Miyazaki. A double-page spread introduces each subject, showing the artist as a child next to one of their well-known books with a speech bubble highlighting a personal quote. A brief timeline with a few important dates and events appears at the bottom. From there, a comic-panel narrative provides an effective overview of the illustrator's life, including challenges and motivations, and details how they become established in their careers. Haidle's illustrations ably reflect each illustrator's work. In an introduction, Haidle explains what the six illustrators have in common: "In all cases, inspiration from someone else helped pave the way: another artist, animator, cartoonist, or painter whose books, films, or paintings moved hearts and imprinted themselves on minds." Source notes and a bibliography are appended. An accessible entry point for aspiring artists.
Reviewer: Julie Roach

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