Paul Cezanne: A Painter's Journey - Hardcover

Robert Burleigh has written a number of books for children, among them biographies of Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. A painter as well as a writer, Burleigh lives with his wife in Chicago.

Gr. 4-7. Burleigh offers another fine picture-book biography of an artist, following Seurat and La Grande Jatte (2004) and Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge and the City of Light (2005). Once again, Burleigh uses clear, expressive language to pull readers into the images. Simple observations ("He did not outline each leaf," for example) will encourage viewers to notice and think about the artist's decisions and their visual and emotional impact. Burleigh is a painter himself, and his awe and enthusiasm for his subject ring through sentences that deftly incorporate observations and analysis of paintings, biographical information, and even a few direct quotes from the artist. Archival photos of Cezanne's studio and beloved Provence, along with crisp, amply sized reproductions of the paintings and an appended glossary of art terms, further enhance this accessible, sometimes intimate introduction. Teachers will use this worthwhile volume, published in association with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., across age groups and the curriculum. Gillian Engberg
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