Elizabeth Partridge

Seen and Unseen really opened up my eyes to how history can be told in different ways depending on who's holding the camera. The book contrasts the photographs of Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams, with each telling a different version of the same story. Miyake's photos especially stood out as he was actually incarcerated, so his images captured a deeply personal connection with the history. The book will spark a lot of strong conversations about bias, censorship and civil show more liberties. It is a wonderful example of the connection between art and history. show less

This is a lovely book about an artist, artistic growth and discovering one’s exact passion. It’s also a story about family love, through a few generations. I love this artist’s father. I love that in the author’s note at the end of the book the reader discovers that this book was written by the artist’s granddaughter.

This is an excellent picture book biography. These are good and interesting people and I enjoyed reading about them. I was particularly interested in how the show more artist’s father became a vegetarian and how he rescued an abused horse and, of course, how he actively supported his daughter’s dream, even though he was worried that it was impractical.

All of the illustrations shine and many give additional biographical details. One example is that one shows that Frida Kahlo was a friend of hers; at the end of the book that is also revealed via the text. The pictures are beautiful and have a lot of delightful detail.

I appreciated all the photos and in depth information at the end. Included is the author’s famous photo of her father at age 90. I wasn’t surprised to read that Imogen and Ruth Asawa (an local artist whose work I admire) met in the 1950s and became lifelong friends.

Now, having read this book, I want to go back to the San Francisco MOMA. I’m not a member and haven’t visited for years but I love the museum and would like to see everything there but I’d go now primarily because they display a fine collection of Imogen Cunningham’s photographs and I’d make a point of seeing them first.

There is a timeline of life and works in the back of the book that includes three more photographs that she took, in NYC and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Glorious photographs!

4-1/2 stars show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this picture book biography. I’ve always been interested in the man and this book takes the reader though his entire life. I found the narrative interesting. There are a lot of topics that could be brought up for discussion but the way they’re related is appropriate even for young children. I’m thinking of the destruction of the Seneca Village in order to make way for NYC’s Central Park and also the rigors of living and making a living when Olmsted was alive. The show more materials at the end offer excellent additional information. There is an Author’s Note, and a list of Sources, Resources & Bibliography, and (my favorite!) a two column timeline where the left side covers Olmsted’s life from birth to death and most everything between the two and the right side covers what was going on in the U.S. at precisely the same time. I found it riveting. It’s an informative and entertaining biography and history book.

I loved the everything about the illustrations. They’re engaging and I love the art steyle. On different pages they are different sizes and shapes. Extraordinarily good details and colors. I could pore over these for a long time and they do justice to the subject matter. Nature, trees, people, animals, buildings, interiors, etc.

My only quibble is that San Francisco was mentioned only in passing but it’s true that Olmstead ended up not doing that much in/for San Francisco and there was so much else in his life to cover.

4-1/2 stars show less

"Mama, me and Pepper, / always been this way. / Never been without him, / even for a day." So begins the rhyming text of Elizabeth Partridge's picture-book about a young boy who confronts the reality of death, when he loses his beloved cat, Pepper. Introducing the affectionate rhythm of their life together - the boy looks for Pepper after school every day, shaking a bag of kibble if he can't find him - the narrative soon moves on to the warning signs of death - Pepper's withdrawal, his lack show more of interest in food or play. The death itself, the funeral in the backyard, and the boy's subsequent grief, and feelings of emptiness, come next. Eventually, the boy comes to terms with his loss, feeling a connection to Pepper's "spirit" in the natural world around him...

A lovely little book, one that addresses a difficult but important topic with sensitivity, Big Cat Pepper features charming mixed media illustrations by Lauren Castillo. The fun-loving play of boy and cat, the tender concern shown by the boy for his seemingly ill pet, and the melancholy of loss, are all captured in the expressive artwork. I appreciated the fact that the family depicted is "non-traditional" - just mom, boy and cat - and that they are (most likely) Latino. This last is particularly appealing, as so many of the classic "loss of a pet" books for children - The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, or I'll Always Love You - feature characters of European descent. Why doesn't it merit four stars, then, and why wouldn't I class it with those other books? Sadly, I think Partridge's rhyming scheme is rather clunky, and just doesn't read that well. The story idea is good, the emotional register rings true, and the illustrations are appealing. If you don't mind the rhyme, then this might be the book you're looking for. show less