Picture book biographies aren’t just for our younger students anymore. Many of these short, illustrated biographies are for older children too. A couple of our recent acquisitions will also be of interest to adults, and they both demonstrate the unique perspective that artists have.

Josef Albers’ work with color was an important milestone for artists, teachers, and anyone who is interested in the use of color. An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Julia Breckenreid (Henry Holt) clearly describes Albers’ curiosity about how colors work with each other, and how differently they react with each other.

In order to use color effectively it is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually.      –Josef Albers

Dorothea Lange also viewed our world through an artist’s eyes, but her art form was photography. Long after her death, some of her photographs remain as masterpieces that define our history. Dorothea’s Eyes by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Gérard DuBois (Calkins Creek) narrates this remarkable woman’s life and explains how she often felt invisible.

This is the way it is. Look at it! Look at it!         -Dorothea Lange

1936 — Florence Owens Thompson, 32, a poverty-stricken migrant mother with three young children, gazes off into the distance. This photograph, commissioned by the FSA, came to symbolize the Great Depression for many Americans. — Image by © CORBIS

(Image taken from History.com)