Art books

I have a new job at my library, I am a Page and so I have to put books away and record stuff. So anyway, I was straightening and taking inventory in the children's nonfiction section, and I found the ART BOOK SECTION! >:D
There's several about regular art, of course. Impressionism, Modern, Renaissance, and many others. But there was also a book on 'Talking with the Illistrators'. I picked it up because it featured my favorite artist when I was a kid: Kevin Henkes.

He said in his segment, that he drew all his life, but none of his drawings made it to the public until he was in college. I thought that this was interesting. So many young artists promote themselves and their developing art on sites like DeviantArt, and then it seems to turn into one big competiton: There are many advanced, successful artists on DA, and they are the ones that get ALL the watchers and ALL the favorites. So the little guy, who is still learning, feels inferior.

Then you have people who think that they're already where they need to be and don't listen to others on what they should be improving. Those people annoy me. I knew someone like that.  She STILL drives me insane.

Anyway..Anyway... Kevin Henkes. I grew up with his book: Chrysanthemum.

Charming illistrations and a sweet storyline makes this my all time favorite kids book. :3 In this story,
'Chrysanthemum absolutely loves her name.

She loved the way it sounds when he mother wakes her up. She loved the way it sounded when her father called her for dinner. And she loved the way it sounded when she whispered it to herself in the bathroom mirror. Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum.

But when she starts her first day of school, the other children giggle. "'Her name is so long,' said Jo. 'It scarcely fits on her name tag,' said Rita, pointing."

'Poor Chrysanthemum; even though her father says her name is "precious and priceless and fascinating and winsome," how will she persuade the other children in her class? Perhaps Mrs. Twinkle can come to the rescue! ' 

I totally just stole that from the back of the book XD

I suppose I can relate to Chrysanthemum's problems. I was bullied severely in school, and I have a flower name too.

My favorite line of the book: ' Chrysanthemum did not think her name was absolutely perfect...She knew it! ' ♥


Henke's illistrations help move the story along more then his enchanting way with words. His main tools are a pen and watercolor. If you would like to see more of his work, visit his website at the top of this post. ^^