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annebennett1957's review
5.0
It is a children's illustrated biography of the famous artist Gyo Fujikawa who broke many barriers in publishing insisting the children of other races could be drawn and printed on the same page, and in the same book. Many would be familiar with her book Babies (published in 1963) which was one of the earliest children's books to use multiracial characters. The same list that suggested Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy suggested this title about inclusivity in art and in culture. If I were a children's librarian, I'd make sure to purchase this book for my library and I'd highlight for young readers.
msgabbythelibrarian's review
5.0
I knew nothing about Gyo Fujikawa. At least not consciously. But wow. What a woman. To have dealt with her family being put into internment camps to constantly being denied diversity in her illustrations. I admire her tenacity, her persistence, and her desire to bring joy to the world--reflecting ALL its different people.
shighley's review
4.0
I know that we had the Babies book! This is a way to introduce examples of discrimination that many children might not be aware of. It has an interesting use of black & white, contrasted with color that seems to indicate more positive things. I would like to see more examples of her creative work!
missprint_'s review against another edition
4.0
Really loved this one. A little long but a thoughtful and nuanced biography of an historical figure I wasn't familiar with. Lots of great backmatter including quotes, a timeline, and more. Gorgeous illustrations and great use of color to highlight the ebb and flow of the story.
anneke_b's review
4.0
Definitely geared towards older kids, but I loved, LOVED this.
Once again a big sigh for my childhood where I had to do without picturebook biographies
Once again a big sigh for my childhood where I had to do without picturebook biographies
littlebookjockey's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautiful book about an amazing person. I'd never heard of Gyo Fujikawa before reading this, but I definitely appreciate the work she put into advocating for diversity in children's books. I also loved the artwork in this one. I think it fits very well.
5elementknitr's review
5.0
I dig how they used real family pics in the first few pages. I also liked how the early childhood drawings of Ms. Fujikawa were depicted almost as studies/practice drawings.
I remember her Babies book from my childhood, but never knew anything about her or her life. As child, I didn't have much cause to pay attention to authors per se.
After reading this, I've got all the books of hers I could find from the library coming my way!
I remember her Babies book from my childhood, but never knew anything about her or her life. As child, I didn't have much cause to pay attention to authors per se.
After reading this, I've got all the books of hers I could find from the library coming my way!
livinthelibrarianlife's review
5.0
A beautifully illustrated picture book about the life of Gyo Fujikawa and the struggles she went through both as a female and as an Asian in America during the time of WWII. I like when I can find books that touch on America’s tragic forced camps for Asian American during this time and she speaks of how her parents and sister were forced to stay in one for several years simply because they looked guilty. Students don’t learn about this in history classes and it’s an important topic to talk about. I love that she also fought for what she believed in when it came to her writing, there are great messages in this book that lead to fantastic discussions.
abigailbat's review
Do you know Gyo Fujikawa? You might, even if you don't think so. She was a children's book artist and author, the first to publish illustrations of multicultural children in an American book. I recognized her art from a volume of poetry that we had at my grandparents' house when I was growing up. This delicate picture book biography celebrates this book creator in just the way she'd love being commemorated: in a children's book. Pair with Planting Stories for another picture book biography of an influential book person dedicated to representation of all children.