Bibliographic Data: Lewis, J. Patrick and Jane Yolen. 2011. Self Portrait with Seven Fingers: The Life of Marc Chagall in Verse. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions
Summary:
Lewis and Yolen write in verse about Mark Chagall’s life, and pair them with his paintings and short snippets about his life that motivated said verses. The paintings are crisp, the story educational, the verses rich and dripping with heart.
Critical Analysis:
Inevitably this will sound strange, but I cannot write this book review in a manner that is not a little too personal and filled with pathos. From the moment I picked up Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers I was torn between loving it and eulogizing it.
J.Patrick Lewis and Janet Yolen beautifully stitch together verses based on Mark Chagall’s life and paintings. The verses are eloquent, striking, heavy but never tedious, and thoughtful. Their use of imagery is as rich as the deep purples Chagall so loved to utilize. The interweaving of Yiddish phrases are educational as well as interesting, as is the Jewish form of “G-d”, most utilized by Yolen. Autoportrait by Yolen on page 39 is absolutely unnerving, moving, and palpable. (See: Spotlight Poem) The verses flow well, are in an obvious and proper order, and do pair well with the images presented.
The historical snippets boxed beneath the verses are informative. They tell a concise history of Chagall’s life, from birth, patriotism, marriage, moving, studying, struggles with cubism, and loss of his beloved wife. The sources the Yolen & Lewis use are credible and itemized at the end of the book.
The images they choose to use of Chagall’s are equal parts famous and less-known, and cover a wide breadth of his work. Despite the worn condition of my copy of this book, the colors are vibrant and beautiful. “The Promenade” (1917-1918) is by far my favorite of the paintings included.
So, the verses are incredible, Chagall’s history insightful and interesting, and the paintings mesmerizing; where is the problem? I cannot help but feel there is juxtaposition or disjointedness here. Could the history or text on Chagall stand-alone? Absolutely. The paintings? Certainly. The verses? Not in a book format, but yes. The history and paintings pair wonderfully. Yet, I cannot help but feel like my attention is being divided and drawn into different areas of the page as if competing with one another. After the third verse I realized reading the history and then the poem was far more interesting and orienting. Did I like this book? Yes. For children: there is no way it could keep their attention, as it nearly rattled me. If the instructor/parent/librarian reading this book read the history first, then the verse, and then showed the image that might work, however I would only read one page a day.
Review:
KIRKUS REVIEW//U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Lewis and the prolific Yolen team up for a celebratory picture-book biography in verse of the 20th century painter and designer Marc Chagall (1887-1985) that may quickly become a favorite of art-loving families and museum docents.
This handsome book is amply illustrated with archival photos, spot art from Chagall’s oeuvre and, most importantly, 14 full-color reproductions of Chagall’s affecting, mystical, sometimes surreal re-imaginings of his Jewish childhood in Eastern Europe, paintings that swell with touching imagery of joy, loss and beauty. Most of the book’s two-page spreads include an evocative poem (by either Lewis or Yolen) inspired by or reflecting upon the painting on the facing page. These spreads also feature informative, telling biographical briefs that anchor the art and beautifully crafted poetry to Chagall’s long, incident-rich life and artistic career. Details about each painting’s size, medium, date and provenance also add interest. Chagall’s work is represented in over 40 museums in North America, and teachers and parents often find his work particularly accessible and appealing to children who readily and eagerly decode his imagery, making this book useful as well is beautiful.
This inspired collaboration adds a heightened poetic dimension to readers’ understanding of Chagall’s life and art. (Picture book/poetry/biography. 11 & up)
Connection:
Pairing this book with information from WWII, Russian History, or Art History would work in a classroom setting. As an activity I would encourage an instructor to read the history of Chagall and then have children paint or draw an image they feel represents the text, and write a short verse. I would then read the verse and show the painting and talk about how they compare.
Spotlight Verse// Spotlight Painting: (images not presented together in book)
Summary:
Lewis and Yolen write in verse about Mark Chagall’s life, and pair them with his paintings and short snippets about his life that motivated said verses. The paintings are crisp, the story educational, the verses rich and dripping with heart.
Critical Analysis:
Inevitably this will sound strange, but I cannot write this book review in a manner that is not a little too personal and filled with pathos. From the moment I picked up Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers I was torn between loving it and eulogizing it.
J.Patrick Lewis and Janet Yolen beautifully stitch together verses based on Mark Chagall’s life and paintings. The verses are eloquent, striking, heavy but never tedious, and thoughtful. Their use of imagery is as rich as the deep purples Chagall so loved to utilize. The interweaving of Yiddish phrases are educational as well as interesting, as is the Jewish form of “G-d”, most utilized by Yolen. Autoportrait by Yolen on page 39 is absolutely unnerving, moving, and palpable. (See: Spotlight Poem) The verses flow well, are in an obvious and proper order, and do pair well with the images presented.
The historical snippets boxed beneath the verses are informative. They tell a concise history of Chagall’s life, from birth, patriotism, marriage, moving, studying, struggles with cubism, and loss of his beloved wife. The sources the Yolen & Lewis use are credible and itemized at the end of the book.
The images they choose to use of Chagall’s are equal parts famous and less-known, and cover a wide breadth of his work. Despite the worn condition of my copy of this book, the colors are vibrant and beautiful. “The Promenade” (1917-1918) is by far my favorite of the paintings included.
So, the verses are incredible, Chagall’s history insightful and interesting, and the paintings mesmerizing; where is the problem? I cannot help but feel there is juxtaposition or disjointedness here. Could the history or text on Chagall stand-alone? Absolutely. The paintings? Certainly. The verses? Not in a book format, but yes. The history and paintings pair wonderfully. Yet, I cannot help but feel like my attention is being divided and drawn into different areas of the page as if competing with one another. After the third verse I realized reading the history and then the poem was far more interesting and orienting. Did I like this book? Yes. For children: there is no way it could keep their attention, as it nearly rattled me. If the instructor/parent/librarian reading this book read the history first, then the verse, and then showed the image that might work, however I would only read one page a day.
Review:
KIRKUS REVIEW//U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Lewis and the prolific Yolen team up for a celebratory picture-book biography in verse of the 20th century painter and designer Marc Chagall (1887-1985) that may quickly become a favorite of art-loving families and museum docents.
This handsome book is amply illustrated with archival photos, spot art from Chagall’s oeuvre and, most importantly, 14 full-color reproductions of Chagall’s affecting, mystical, sometimes surreal re-imaginings of his Jewish childhood in Eastern Europe, paintings that swell with touching imagery of joy, loss and beauty. Most of the book’s two-page spreads include an evocative poem (by either Lewis or Yolen) inspired by or reflecting upon the painting on the facing page. These spreads also feature informative, telling biographical briefs that anchor the art and beautifully crafted poetry to Chagall’s long, incident-rich life and artistic career. Details about each painting’s size, medium, date and provenance also add interest. Chagall’s work is represented in over 40 museums in North America, and teachers and parents often find his work particularly accessible and appealing to children who readily and eagerly decode his imagery, making this book useful as well is beautiful.
This inspired collaboration adds a heightened poetic dimension to readers’ understanding of Chagall’s life and art. (Picture book/poetry/biography. 11 & up)
Connection:
Pairing this book with information from WWII, Russian History, or Art History would work in a classroom setting. As an activity I would encourage an instructor to read the history of Chagall and then have children paint or draw an image they feel represents the text, and write a short verse. I would then read the verse and show the painting and talk about how they compare.
Spotlight Verse// Spotlight Painting: (images not presented together in book)