SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

April 10, 2017 by Betsy Bird

The Biographical Explosion: Creating the Creators

April 10, 2017 by Betsy Bird   5 comments

Not every children’s book creator deserves a picture book about their life.

Does that sound harsh?  Well, it’s Monday. It’s also something I’ve been thinking about.

Without any numbers before me, I get the distinct impression that we’re seeing a marked increase in the range of picture book biographies printed in a given year.  In the past it was usually the same ten individuals, presented in ever-so slightly different ways.  These days we’ve an abundance of riches.  We haven’t hit our peak yet, of course.  There are still lots of gaps out there waiting to be filled.  Still, we’re getting there.

This year I’ve been dutifully reading through all the picture book bios that cross my plate.  And I didn’t raise so much as an eyebrow when I stumbled on the first picture book biography of a children’s book author/illustrator.  Nor did I think much about the second.  But when I came across a third such book to be published in 2017, I started to wonder what exactly was going on.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Picture book biographies of children’s book creators are not new.  Many is the children’s room that will carry Kathleen Krull’s The Boy on Fairfield Street (about Dr. Seuss), Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw by Deborah Kogan Ray, or last year’s really lovely A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day by Andrea Davis Pinkney.  Each one of these is a labor of love and they come out infrequently enough to not raise much notice.  So to see three in one year?  It’s a bit odd.  Here’s what I’ve discovered (and please note, this may not be all of them out, just what I’ve noticed):

Balderdash!: John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books by Michelle Markel, ill. Nancy Carpenter

Balderdash

Markel and Carpenter weren’t making it easy on themselves with this one.  Few Americans have actually read a John Newbery book, though they may vaguely recognize his name from his eponymous medal.  Then again, it’s smart to write a picture book biography about a children’s book author (rather than illustrator).  If you’re writing about any kind of an artist, your own book’s illustrator is going to have to figure out if they need to replicate the style outright or merely reference it.  Not an issue with authors like Mr. Newbery.  Called an “effervescent tribute” by Publishers Weekly (who gave it a starred review) Carpenter does reference the books of Newbery’s time period but she does it by giving Balderdash weathered-looking typography.  Full confession: I’ve not read this one yet, but I surely do intend to do so soon.

Big Machines: The Story of Virgina Lee Burton by Sherri Duskey Rinker and John Rocco

BigMachiines

Remember what I said about artists having to make the impossible choice between replicating their subjects’ art and just referencing it?  Well, Big Machines is a little from column A and a little from column B.  In it, artist John Rocco departs from his usual style.  He draws many of Burton’s own beloved characters in the style that she drew them.  This book may have some kid appeal for construction lovers or kids that already loved Burton’s work.  Hard to say at this point.

Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, ill. Brigette Barrager

PocketFullColors

It’s late as I write this blog post.  I should go to bed but in doing my due diligence on this piece I stumbled into a rabbit hole of Mary Blair images for Disney animated films on Pinterest.  Send the rescue party, because I ain’t coming out!  Of the bios here today, this one is undoubtedly my favorite.  Illustrator Brigette Barrager is also the only person who could have done this job this well.  I walked into this book with low expectations and was summarily blown away.  Together Guglielmo and Tourville and Barrager have managed to tap into the challenges Blair faced in her life, as well as the colors she employed in her art.  If you read only one book about a children’s book creator this year, make it this one.

At the beginning of this point I said that not every children’s book creator deserves a picture book about their life.  I think it’s true.  There are a lot of really boring creators out there. To create any kind of work of nonfiction you need someone who holds up the high standards of the form.  You also need someone who faced some kind of a challenge.  Not every pic bk bio shows this.

Note: We have yet to see a picture book about any creators that aren’t white, of course.  The Ezra Jack Keats book was about a Jewish guy, so there’s that, but I’ve not seen anything on John Steptoe, Walter Dean Myers, etc.

As for autobiographical works, these tend to either skew older, go the graphic novel route, or do both (El Deafo, Sunny Side Up, Drawing From Memory and the upcoming Silent Days, Silent Dreams, Stiches, etc.).  Here’s hoping that if this trend continues, we see a wide range of folks being honored.

Filed under: Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
John NewberyMary BlairVirginia Lee Burton

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

May 2023

That Time I Asked Chris Rufo a Question

by Betsy Bird

May 2023

Maintain the Domain! A PSA for Authors/Publishers

by Betsy Bird

March 2023

Announcing the Stinetinglers Winner! The Kettle's Dark Secret by Clara J.

by Betsy Bird

March 2023

Bologna Presentations: IBBY Doing the Good Work That Needs to Be Done, Worldwide

by Betsy Bird

February 2023

Sydney Taylor Book Blog Award Tour Interview: Featuring Mari Lowe of Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk!

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Name That LEGO Book Cover! (#44)

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Ellen Myrick Publisher Preview: Fall 2023/Winter 2024 (Part Six – Diamond, Eye of Newt, & Floris Books)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Squire & Knight | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

More Mock-Newbery Titles Needed: Share June Suggestions Now

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Top 25 Titles at My School: Graphic Novels and Mauds Reign Supreme!

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Trying Something New: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Doug Salati, Dan Santat, and Amina Luqman-Dawson

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

15 Nonfiction and Fiction Titles for Young Readers About Slavery in the United States

Between Friends: Books Help Tackle the Tough Emotions that Go with Friendship

12 Books for Trans Day of Visibility

12 Picture Books & Middle Grade Titles Set During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Three Creepy and Kooky Books for 'Wednesday' Fans | Read-Alikes

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eric Carpenter says

    April 10, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Re: picture book about a non-white illustrator-
    Benny Andrews was an artist and late in life created illustrations for a number of picture books. After his death his frequent collaborator Kathleen Benson Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews (HMH 2015), a picturebook biography utilizing Mr. Andrews artwork.

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      April 10, 2017 at 4:36 pm

      Sir, I doff my cap to you. You are absolutely correct. I’d forgotten all about Benson’s book. Well done. Well done.

  2. Brooke Shirts says

    April 10, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    A Mary Blair picture book biography?? [swoons]

    I snapped up a copy of her Little Golden Book anthology a few years ago and it’s one of my favorites for sheer eye-candy-ness.

  3. Nick Smith says

    April 18, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    I don’t know about elsewhere, but we get a lot of requests for books about authors of children’s books. I think it’s a new trend in school assignments.

  4. Funions Guy says

    May 5, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    The Newbery book is putatively a biography, but it has to do more generally with the grander concept of children reading for themselves. The historical moment when the idea of literate children became valuable is more the takeaway, though Newbery comes off as a swell guy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023