Time to Make Art

Starred review from November 1, 2023
Mack explores fundamental questions about human visual expression. As a brown-skinned young protagonist, sporting cornrows and a lavender beret, ponders the nature of creativity, palette and brush in hand, artists from around the world and throughout history respond. Pointing to God's finger on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the child wonders if art must be perfect. Michelangelo assures the child, "You can make your art any way you want." The youngster discusses the use of color with Piet Mondrian, contemplates whether to privilege realism over other styles with Ren� Magritte and Vincent van Gogh, and mulls the emotional content of art with Chris Ofili and Frida Kahlo. The diversity of talent and array of topics included are truly impressive. Vibrant handmade and digital illustrations portray a stone sculptor from 200 CE Teotihuac�n, a cave artist, and Esther Mahlangu, a South African artist who applies traditional Ndebele house patterns on everything from jewelry to sneakers. The questions addressed are ones that will occur to most people of any age: What about mistakes? How do you know if your art is good? Leonardo da Vinci fields that last one: "Good art will be fun and mysterious...no matter how many times you see it." Humor and wonder shine through in Mack's intelligent, playful scenes. The book can be enjoyed without recognizing the artists (who go unnamed in the story itself), but backmatter identifies them and offers salient snippets for each. An inspiring and empowering manifesto for young creators. (Informational picture book. 4-9)

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Starred review from January 1, 2024
There are many misconceptions about what art is and what it should do. An inquisitive brown-skinned girl wants to know more about art and asks a series of simple yet profound questions about it. Each question is answered by a different artist, ranging from ancient to modern, world-famous to regionally known. Unlike many art surveys, this book presents a truly global perspective, putting Indigenous and non-Western art side-by-side with well-known Western artists as well as conceptual and avant-garde work. The girl asks questions such as "Can nothing be art?"; "Art can also be sad, right?"; and "Can art be something that I use?" The answers depend on who is doing the responding. Replies vary for the question "How long will it take to make art?": a minute (Keith Haring); an hour (Eric Carle); a hundred hours (Christine Harvey). Should art look like what we see? An impressionist would answer with a hearty yes, but a post-impressionist like Van Gogh might think it's better "when art looks like how I feel." Digitally rendered illustrations feature each artist and a representation of their work. Back matter provides information on each artist and may spark hours of further research and discovery. A thoughtful look at art that will likely motivate budding artists to trust their creative intuition. Julie Hakim Azzam

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 26, 2024

K-Gr 2-Mack explores the creative process of art in this accessible and celebratory volume. Not sure where to begin, a young artist with brown skin, black locs, and a lavender beret has some questions. Answers resound from a robust and diverse cast of artists spanning time and cultures; joyous, richly textured paintings depict both famous and less ubiquitous art and artists. The narrative resolves with a happy smattering of blue paint; back matter includes vignettes consisting of contextual information, dates, locations, and artist portraits for each piece of art featured in the story. The question-and-answer format makes this ideal for a two-voice read-aloud. The questions inspire reflection and conversation, ideal for classroom use, and the concise narrative makes this a viable story time selection as well. The focus skews towards North American and European art, but relative to the world of art history in the U.S., this is a notable improvement and valuable contribution for young readers. VERDICT There's not a frown to be found in this celebration of art and artists; it's delightful! Recommended as a first purchase.-Taylor Worley

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
There are many misconceptions about what art is and what it should do. An inquisitive brown-skinned girl wants to know more about art and asks a series of simple yet profound questions about it. Each question is answered by a different artist, ranging from ancient to modern, world-famous to regionally known. Unlike many art surveys, this book presents a truly global perspective, putting Indigenous and non-Western art side-by-side with well-known Western artists as well as conceptual and avant-garde work. The girl asks questions such as "Can nothing be art?"; "Art can also be sad, right?"; and "Can art be something that I use?" The answers depend on who is doing the responding. Replies vary for the question "How long will it take to make art?": a minute (Keith Haring); an hour (Eric Carle); a hundred hours (Christine Harvey). Should art look like what we see? An impressionist would answer with a hearty yes, but a post-impressionist like Van Gogh might think it's better "when art looks like how I feel." Digitally rendered illustrations feature each artist and a representation of their work. Back matter provides information on each artist and may spark hours of further research and discovery. A thoughtful look at art that will likely motivate budding artists to trust their creative intuition.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)