Through the Window

July 1, 2018

Gr 1-4-The latest from the creators of Vincent Can't Sleep and The Noisy Paint Box is a stunning picture book that pays tribute to Marc Chagall. Captivated by the scenes of everyday life as seen "through the window," this book mimics his sometimes dreamlike and whimsical paintings through text and image. Each page reveals what Chagall might have observed as a child; Rosenstock and Grandpré pay homage to his signature artistic style, which blended traditional folklore, scenes of everyday life in his hometown of Vitebsk, and most notably, his deep Jewish faith. Later in his life, Chagall began experimenting with stained glass, producing works that emulate a sense of contemplation, peace, and healing. The illustrations capture the meditative, colorful, and sacred nature of Chagall's work while still remaining recognizable and accessible to young readers. The book excellently connects Chagall's spiritual process as an artist with the historical and social challenges he faced as a Jew at the dawn of World War I, and to this end, includes author's notes for historical context at the book's conclusion. VERDICT A winning tribute to an artist who inspired the world that will please readers of all ages.-Natalie Romano, Denver Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
Moishe Shagal leaves his home in Belarus and grows up to become acclaimed artist Marc Chagall.Little Moishe looks through his window in the city of Vitebsk and sees a warm and bustling patchwork of people: "Neighbors squabble, rabbis bless, a bowlegged fiddler plays on a rooftop." The unremarkable theme of looking through a window continues from childhood to prime of life to old age, through political turmoil and danger. But despite the tepid window-gazing motif, Rosenstock's prose shines, from alliteration ("poets peeling pears, Cubists clinking cups") to keen evocation ("Two-faced slivers of St. Petersburg, glittering city of czars and princes") to fond, appropriately fanciful artwork descriptions ("A misty woman on a parti-colored rooster. Frilly acrobats tumble in the sky"). Grandpré's illustrations, acrylic paint on board, feature plenty of recognizable Chagall images and content but lack Chagall-like vibes: The figures and compositions are too concrete, not dreamlike, and the stained glass isn't crisp. Bizarrely, Chagall's Judaism goes unmentioned until the author's note, which means that anti-Semitism is missing too. Judaism's hardly irrelevant to a name-change from Moishe Shagal to Marc Chagall, but the text praises his new name as "French, elegant, light as pâtisserie." Even his flight from occupied France for the United States during World War II summons no reference to Judaism. Rabbis mentioned once in Vitebsk and once in later paintings don't make up for it.Despite sparkling prose, look elsewhere. (author's note, art reproductions, sources) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

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Starred review from July 16, 2018
Beginning with Chagall’s childhood in the village of Vitebsk, Belarus, Rosenstock’s expressive ode to the artist is laced with references to familiar moments from Chagall’s oeuvre: “Neighbors squabble, rabbis bless, a bowlegged fiddler plays on a rooftop.” Working in painterly layers, GrandPré integrates Chagall’s chimerical imagery into her pictures. Rejected by some for his nontraditional work, Chagall was embraced by a community of French artists, including Cezanne, Gauguin, and Matisse. Rosenstock and GrandPré closely observe and reflect Chagall’s life and creative process: spreads show the artist envisioning, painting, and sculpting, while artisans prepare stained glass for the enchanting, blue-bathed “America Windows” in Chicago. A lush and insightful portrait of a daring and imaginative artist. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 1, 2018
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* With poetic language and whimsical pictures, Rosenstock and GrandPr� have completely captured the beauty of Marc Chagall's life and art. Using windows as a framing device both in the prose and illustrations, they mimic the highlights of his career as he looks out at life in Russia, Paris, and the U.S. Elements of the artist's paintings and stained-glass work repeat throughout, as seemingly soaring and weightless as his recurring images of fiddlers, birds, and flying horses. GrandPr�, whose illustrations will feel comfortingly familiar to young fans of her Harry Potter spot art, also emphasizes Chagall's strong profile and sweet smile, making him seem approachable to children who may see themselves in the observant boy and man. Brilliant endpapers and an essential author's note, which adds crucial, solid biographical information, help make this a book to be savored. Add in source material and the inclusion of several of Chagall's works in the afterword, and its usefulness to students is apparent. Rosenstock and GrandPr� have collaborated before on books about artists, first with the Caldecott Honor Book The Noisy Paint Box? (2014), about Vasily Kandinsky, and again with Vincent Can't Sleep? (2017), about Van Gogh. Let's hope they find more artists to celebrate together.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)