Raúl Colón

A young boy skateboards across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan in this gorgeous wordless picture-book, eventually finding himself in front of the Museum of Modern Art. Going in on a (seeming) impulse, he is astonished by what he sees and engrossed in the artwork around him. Then some of the figures from famous paintings - Matisse's Icarus, Picasso's Three Musicians, and Rousseau's The Sleeping Gypsy - step off their canvases, and join him on a tour of New York City's sites...

A delightful show more tribute to the power of art to inspire us, its ability to lead us on fantastic journeys, Raúl Colón's Imagine! is a worthy follow-up to his Draw!, another wordless picture-book that pays tribute to some of the influences (in that case, a massive tome on Africa) that shaped him as a young artist. As the afterword here makes plain, this is less of an autobiographical tale - apparently, Colón didn't enter MoMA until he was an adult - and more of an imaginative take on how such an experience might have influenced him. The artwork itself, done in watercolors and pencils, is (appropriately enough) simply beautiful. Recommended to Raúl Colón fans, to those who enjoy wordless picture-books, and to anyone looking for children's stories about art, museums and/or New York City. show less

Picture-book illustrator Raúl Colón draws upon his own experiences as a young would-be artist in creating this lovely wordless tale, which follows a boy who, inspired by the massive volume on Africa that he is reading, uses his drawing skills to take an imaginative safari. Drawing all of the wonderful animals that live in the African Serengeti ecosystem, the boy has imaginary adventures with each, finding himself being chased by the rhinoceros, and drawn himself by the monkeys.

The artwork show more here, done in pen and ink, watercolors, pencil, and lithograph, is absolutely beautiful, capturing both the wonder of the boy's rich imaginative experience, and the majesty of the creatures he is depicting. Draw! works very well as a wordless book, not just because the visuals are so strong, but also because it taps into the common childhood experience of using visual stimuli - pictures, movies, etc. - to launch a world of make-believe. Recommended to anyone looking for good wordless picture-books, as well as to anyone searching for children's stories about the imagination and the artistic process. show less

I loved this wordless fantasy.

This makes it clear how important it is to see art irl, not just reproduced on pages... even if you can't get to New York or the Smithsonian or go to see your favorite pieces, hi thee to a local museum to get at least a sense of what is lost/ transformed from original to screen or book. At the very least, look for the note telling you how large the original is: some of Thomas Cole's, for example, are almost as big as murals, but lots of the famous ones we know show more from storybooks are significantly smaller than life. And sometimes it's the other way around.

Anyway, this book is successful imo because there's a Truth to the feelings and perspective of the boy that a straight memoir could never have captured. It's not just about enjoying the adventure with the characters from the paintings; it's about incorporating the passion for art into one's soul. And it can happen to anyone, not just creative types or educated ppl.
Full page author's note explains more.

Though the style of the illustrations is perfect for this, of course, it's not something I'm quite comfortable with yet. Given how much I like this, however, I will seek more by Colón. show less

This is a beautiful tribute to art and inspires young readers to experience, and then incorporate it into their lives.

A boy heads off to the art museum in New York with a box of chalk in his back pocket. At the museum, he gazes at the different pieces of art when one comes alive and dances with him. Soon, the figures from other paintings come to life, and with a colorful group, he heads to the city. When the adventure finally ends and they return to their paintings, the boy uses these show more experiences to let inspiration flow as he heads back into his daily life.

The illustrations are gorgeous and carry the entire book without the need for text or words. The illustrator presents New York as a rather brown, fairly monotone world before the boy steps into the museum and the colorful paintings bring brightness and life. The paintings are true to life existing ones, which in itself, presents a possibility for teachers/ parents to open up the world of art to young readers. When the boy heads out into New York with his new found, cheerful friends, they visit various sites and experience different activities, the city has to offer. Those who know New York will feel at home, while others learn a little more about the city. When the boy heads back out of the museum, his adventures complete, the dreary, brownish buildings are back, but the boy now uses his chalk to brighten them up, bringing color into the world with him.

The various messages in this book and aspects offer a bounty of discussion material for children. Children are opened up to the world of art, taught how to digest and incorporate it into their lives and even learn other things along the way. I'll admit, the graffiti on the building made me flinch, and while the chalk aspect definitely helps, part of me isn't sure this was the best way to approach things. The other part, the artist, finds it wonderful and wishes all dreary walls were brightened. Hence, the 4.5 stars which I'm rounding up to 5 stars.

Summed up, this is a wonderful book which would especially work well in classroom, homeschooling or other group situations. It's an effective and exciting way to introduce kids to the beauty of art and will leave them seeking inspiration of their own.

I received a complimentary copy and found the book so original and well done that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts. show less