ART IN SILHOUETTE

by Henry Lawrence Oakley

Silhouettes harken back to the art of Ancient Egypt and Greece, as images painted on tomb walls or pottery.  What today are considered to be traditional profile silhouettes, painted or cut from black paper, were first used in 18th Century portraiture, before the invention of the camera - which led to the end of the silhouette's widespread use for portraits.  But if you've ever been to Main Street, Disneyland, you may have noticed a shop where artists quickly hand-cut portraits in profile. I'm not getting paid to promote Disney, but their interesting and informative (1-minute long) video about this studio and silhouette portraits is worth watching. 

from RHYMES ABOUT THE COUNTRY
by Margaret Chute

Like the quick "click" of a camera shot, or children playing freeze tag, a silhouette captures the image of a moment in time we might otherwise have missed or forgotten. This art makes us stop and admire the lines and curves of the seemingly back-lit, darkened subjects of the scene. Because silhouettes communicate the whimsy and fleeting nature of childhood, I think they are wonderfully employed as illustrations for children's literature -- be it poetry, fantasy, or just a simple story. 


Hans Christian Anderson would often accompany his public story-telling with impromptu designs and small scenes, as he cut them out by hand from paper. Though not specifically silhouette portraits, they were called "paper cuts".

THE AMAZING PAPER CUTTINGS OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON  
by Beth Wagner Brust

Many countries, including China and Turkey, have a history of paper-cutting art.  The French used the term silhouette, after a man by the name of Eteinne de Silhouette, whose very affordable hobby was making cut-out portraits in the profile style; but in Germany, this art was called schernschnitte, which means "scissor cut". 


Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, some illustrators began using this paper cutting technique for books. Silhouette pictures could easily be printed by blocks that were cheaper to produce and lasted longer than detailed black and white hand drawn illustrations.  Arthur Rackham was one of the earliest illustrators who used silhouette scenes in several of his books.

Modern day children's book illustrators who use paper cuts include DAVID WISNIEWSKI, JAN PIENKOWSKI, CLAY RICE, and NIKKI McCLURE.  (Click on each name to read about their art and books).

Nikki McClure, from The Great Chicken Escape

Clay Rice, The Lonely Shadow

David Wisniewski, The Warrior and the Wise Man

Jan Pienkowski,  from The Thousand Nights and One Night

Source links for more information:
Portrait Silhouettes
History of Paper Cutters
Charles Burns Silhouette Parlour

TIME FOR GARDENS

Summer is a great time to read and learn about seeds and planting! There are some wonderful picture books out there that may inspire you and your child to start your own backyard garden...

Preschool-2nd grade
THE CARROT SEED, by Ruth Krauss - illustrations by Crockett Johnson. Children will love the simple drawings in this story about a little boy who not only plants a seed, but tends it carefully and waits patiently - even though everyone tells him, "it won't come up".
ONE BEAN, by Ann Rockwell - illustrations by Meghan Halsey. You'll want to try some of the activities at the end of this book! A look at exactly what happens to a bean as it sprouts on a wet paper towel - bright and accurate illustrations make learning about plant cycles interesting for even young children.
FROM SEED TO PUMPKIN, by Wendy Pfeffer - illustrations by James Graham Hale. Sweet watercolor-and-pencil illustrations of children planting and taking care of their pumpkins. Some simple recipes and experiments are included.
A FRUIT IS A SUITCASE FOR SEEDS, by Jean Richards - illustrations by Anca Hariton. Fun introduction to seeds, with nice watercolor pictures.


Kindergarten-3rd grade
THE LADY AND THE SPIDER, by Faith McNulty - illustrations by Bob Marstall. Spiders are NOT among my favorite things, but I couldn't resist this serene story of a lady and the green spider that lives in her lettuce patch. Learning about what goes on in a spider's daily life will help young ones (and moms), who might be squeamish about these eight-legged creatures, appreciate, instead of fear them!
A WEED IS A FLOWER: THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, by Aliki.
George Washington Carver learned about plants by taking care of other people's gardens. This man, who devoted his life to helping the south improve its agriculture, was born to slave parents and didn't go to college until he was 30 years old!
ALL IN A DAY, by Cynthia Rylant - illustrations by Nikki McClure. The black and white paper art cut-outs by Nikki McClure, on alternating pastel blue and yellow backgrounds, are a beautiful pairing with the quiet poetic text, written by Cynthia Rylant, about a day in the life of a boy on a farm. He not only waters his garden and gathers eggs, but picnics and naps with his pet hen.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ALASKA?

My brother and his family live in Eagle River, Alaska, near Anchorage. We were able to visit them during the summer years ago and let me tell you, Alaska has some of the most beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and flowers I've ever seen! Today I thought I'd share some picture books with you about Alaska that my kids enjoyed reading before and after our trip.

Shelley Gill has written many children's books about Alaska. These were our favorites, illustrated by Shannon Cartwright. (ages 4-8)
ALASKA'S THREE BEARS is a fun twist of the original, featuring the Polar Bear, the Black Bear, and the Grizzly Bear as they travel across Alaska in search of perfect homes. Your child will love the artwork and learn tons of interesting facts about bears.
THE ALASKA MOTHER GOOSE - Fun rhymes that teach kids about all the different wildlife in Alaska.
SWIMMER - Learn about the Chinook salmon and their life stages in this fun, beautifully illustrated story.

MAMA, DO YOU LOVE ME? by Barbara M. Joosee, pictures by Barbara Lavallee. This question is delightfully asked and answered from the perspective of the Intuit culture, as a daughter attempts to find the limit of her mother's love.

THE BRAVEST DOG EVER: THE TRUE STORY OF BALTO by Natalie Standiford, illutrations by Donald Cook. (grades 1-3) This is the true story of a sled dog in 1925 who led his team through the snow and ice - over 53 miles - to deliver medicine.

These three books about St. Herman are written for different age levels:

SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA, written and illustrated by S.A. Smith. (ages 4-8) A simple telling of a Russian Monk who brough Christianity to the native populations of Kodiak and Spruce Islands.

NORTH STAR: ST. HERMAN OF ALASKA, by Dorrie Papademetriou. (32 pages, ages 9-12) A more detailed telling of the monk who, in the late 1700's, crossed the Bering Strait with other Russian monks and lived with the Aleut people for over 40 years.

FATHER HERMAN: ALASKA'S SAINT (72 pages, ages 12 and up), by F.A. Golder, with papercut illustrations by Nikki McClure, tells of the life and miracles of St. Herman.