Story Painter

Starred review from September 28, 1998
Duggleby (Artist in Overalls: The Life of Grant Wood) once again enlarges upon themes in an American artist's life and work to create a gratifying portrait of a particular time and place. Lawrence's expressionistic, stark paintings, in excellent full-page color reproduction, together with an artful layout incorporating the artist's blocky color fields and rhythmic patterns, nicely complement Duggleby's measured account of a materially poor but culturally rich childhood and Lawrence's subsequent struggles and successes. The author subtly works in the effect of the dearth of materials during the Depression on Lawrence's emerging style as well as the artist's mission to convey the legacy of African Americans in his series paintings. The painter's links to the Harlem renaissance, the segregated military, civil rights and black pride movements are explored through anecdotes, photographs, paintings and opening quotes for each chapter, by such contemporaries as Langston Hughes, Fats Waller and Martin Luther King Jr. Excerpts from Lawrence's Toussaint L'Ouverture (1937-1938), Migration of the Negro (1940-1941) and Harriet and the Promised Land (1967) series provide lessons in earlier black history as well as art appreciation, and pave the way for his milestone acceptance in the art world at large. This solid work of biography/art history commemorates an extraordinary living artist and pays tribute to Lawrence's determination, optimism and originality. Ages 6-12.

October 1, 2013

Gr 4-8-The best way to enjoy this wonderful audiobook biography is with a copy of Duggleby's fabulous print version in hand. While each chapter unfolds the inspiring and often-difficult life of Jacob Lawrence, the real story is told by his paintings, 25 of which are reproduced in full-page glossy illustrations. Each event in the artist's life and the person who influenced him became a subject for his paintings. His parents moved North, much like many African Americans at the time, seeking a better life, and the Great Migration became his inspiration for a series of artwork. After he moved with his mother to Harlem in 1930, Lawrence became a part of the artistic community and learned more about his ethnic heritage from the residents than he did in school. He taught others about black heroes such as General Toussaint L'Ouverture and Harriet Tubman through his paintings, and eventually, in books; but he also painted the life events around him, telling stories of segregation, the civil rights movement, and life in the military with bright tempera colors. Myra Lucretia Taylor reads slowly and carefully, allowing listeners to digest each fact and achievement before moving on. Although the book's format may make readers think that it is a picture book, the chapters are substantial, providing a well-detailed outline of the life of one of America's foremost black artists. With the historical and cultural information that is included, this would serve as a wonderful introduction to the Harlem Renaissance or a study of American painters.-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY

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