Literary Merit: Good
Character Merit: N/A
Reading Level: Grades 5-8
Recommend: Yes

This nonfiction book chronicles Cindy Sherman's body of work, from 1975 while attending college at the State University of New York at Buffalo to her 2016 photographs of aging screen stars. Sherman's love of photography, fashion, and make up connected seamlessly to allow her to explore identity in a groundbreaking way. Sherman's own quotes are interwoven throughout the book to help the reader understand her thought process while creating her art. Ample color photographs are included to illustrate the progression and detail of her work. Young people ages 10 to 17 respond to Sherman's art, telling us their interpretation of the figures, such as why the subjects have a certain facial expression and what the figures are doing. Art terms, such as retrospective and practice, are defined within the text. A bibliography of books, websites, articles, and videos correspond with the notes, allowing the reader to dig deeper. Also included are a list of Sherman's artwork and an explanation of her process and how it has evolved. A wonderful introduction to the artist, this book allows the reader to feel that art is accessible. ( )

Meet Cindy Sherman is both a rewarding introduction to this uniquely imitative artist and a delightful exploration of the creative sensibilities of children. Authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan take us on a tour of Sherman's life and work while pondering the question: What makes an artist? Along the way, they ask a group of young people, ages 10 to 17, what they see when they look at Sherman's photographs. Their answers are surprisingly perceptive and help us see how brilliantly Sherman taps into archetypes even for people who may have had limited exposure to pop culture and history.

I was really struck by the kids' musings, which are in their own way as compelling as the photos themselves. For example, an analysis by 13-year-old Madeline vividly captures the '80s melancholy of Untitled #90: "This girl is about eighteen and has moved away from home. Now she's met somebody and is waiting for him to call. Her hands are clenched. She's tense and giving up hope. The old photo and her nubby pink robe with poofy sleeves show that this is not in super-modern times."

This book would be great for any budding artist or photographer but may be of particular interest to girls—though Sherman often crosses gender lines in her work, her representations of female archetypes are her trademark. The back matter includes extensive bibliography and notes, plus a list of featured works telling us the size of each and the media used. There's also a lovely author's note inviting us to "enter Cindy's invented but somehow familiar world and discover your own stories." ( )