At age eight, many children enter a new literary realm. They begin reading on their own and look forward to expanding their literary tastes beyond picture books. To satisfy these new interests, The PJ Library Book Selection Committee makes concerted efforts to find age-appropriate chapter books for our older readers.
Eric Kimmel is a prolific author who continually supplies PJ Library with an ever-growing assortment of engaging Jewish-themed chapter books. A Picture for Marc, his biography of artist Marc Chagall, is no exception. Focusing on Marc Chagall’s childhood, Kimmel describes how a young, fun-loving, curious Chagall first learns about artists and drawing through a friend who shows him how to trace pictures out of magazines. Feeling constrained by tracing, Marc soon begins drawing whimsical images from his own life, filling his paper with sketches of his fiddle–playing Uncle, his teachers, and the goats, cows, and chickens that inhabit his hometown.
Illustrator Matthew Trueman populates Kimmel’s book with simple black and white sketches that capture the dream-like qualities of Chagall’s art. To pique PJ readers’ curiosity and to motivate children and their families to explore more of Chagall’s art, our PJ Library version of Kimmel’s biography includes a reprint of Chagall’s 1913 masterpiece, “The Fiddler.”
Serving as both “a window” that provides glimpses into life in 1800s Tsarist Russia and “a mirror” in which children who enjoy spotting the wonders in the world can easily find themselves, Kimmel’s A Picture for Marc emphasizes the importance of following your dream, expressing yourself, and learning to savor the beauty of one’s surroundings.
MORE:
Jewish Children’s Books for Kids Who Love the Arts
Three Questions With Eric Kimmel
June 12, 2018