John Duggleby

John Duggleby's ARTIST IN OVERALLS is a quick and useful introduction to the life and work of Iowan Grant Wood. Like most people, I was familiar with Wood's most famous painting, American Gothic. Now I know a little about Wood's life and how hard-won the recognition of his painting was.

Duggleby's book is presented in the format of a children's book, with many examples of Wood's work in the handsome prints included here (Stone City, Iowa; Parson Weems' Fable; January; Fertility; Arbor Day; show more etc). And I intend to pass the book along to my grandsons who love to draw. But the book could also be useful to adults, no question, with its concise and informative text about Wood's Iowa farm boyhood, his determination to paint despite many obstacles, trips to Europe to study, all the way to his early death, at fifty-one, of cancer. Chronicle Books is to be commended for publishing this very attractive and readable record of the life of an important American artist. Highly recommended. show less

John Duggleby takes us through the life of renowned painter Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence was born in 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His parents were both former slaves that fled to freedom in the north. When he was seven years old, Lawrence's father left, and he had to assume the role of guardian to his siblings while his mother was away working. However, she had trouble finding work, so she moved to New York to find a job there, leaving the children behind until she could afford to bring show more the up with her. After three years, Lawrence and his siblings were moved to Harlem, where he found a completely new culture. In Harlem, unlike in school, Lawrence learned about black history, which led him to paint series of great black heroes such as General Toussaint LÓuverture and Frederick Douglass. He was the first black painter to be featured in a major art gallery. Later on in life, Lawrence became a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he called home.
I absolutely loved this chapter book. The flow of the story was incredible, the organization of each chapter was great, and the placement of each painting in the story worked so well. I would recommend this book to anyone. show less

The creative paintings that John Duggleby displays in the Story Painter are very symbolic. He creates a vivid piece of history through the painting themselves. He goes in depth of the enslavement, freedom, struggles and triumph faced during the Harlem Renaissance. This particular biography was very engaging and easy to read.

The biography of Jacob Lawrence was written well. The author also used his actual paintings throughout the book. It is simple and to the point. I do not know how creditable the author was though. The back included a biography of where he collected the art work from. However it did not inform readers on where the content was pulled from. The book was set in sections based on different parts of Jacob Lawrence's life. I do not know when I would read this to my students, unless we were doing a show more lesson on biographies. show less