Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain

Deborah Kogan Ray, whose many excellent picture-book biographies include such titles as Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw and To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda, here turns her attention to the story of the 18th/19th century Japanese artist known as Hokusai, and the result is simply delightful! Her engaging narrative, which follows the self-styled "peasant from Katsushika" (who used more than thirty names in the course of his life) as he rises from orphaned shop assistant to famous artist, is paired with Ray's own lovely artwork, and one reproduction of a Hokusai print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

I enjoyed learning more about this extraordinary man and artist, whose name was familiar, but whose show more life-story was previously unknown to me. How amazing, not just that Hokusai (a name which means "North Star Studio") went from an impoverished orphan to a renowned artist - someone whose funeral procession included one hundred of the shogun's samurai - but also, how remarkable that his creative impulses prompted him to continually try new styles and methods, and to depict unpopular subjects like fisherman, and other working-class people. Ray is to be commended, not just for creating an engaging and informative story, but for really giving the reader a sense of her subject's complexity and depth, as an artist. Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain (that would be Mt. Fuji), is highly recommended to all young artists and would-be artists, and all young readers interested in the history of art and/or Japan. show less

Some books, as I read them aloud, I can watch my children draw in closer and closer to me and the book. This was one of those books. My children loved looking at the illustrations, seeing the kanji and translations at the bottom of each page, and hearing the story about a boy who followed his passion for drawing throughout his life.

My favorite part was towards the end of the book:

"Late in Hokusai's life, scholars asked Japan's famous master to sum up his work as an artist.
"'From the age of five,' Hokusai wrote to them, 'I have needed to sketch the form of things. Yet of all I drew prior to the age of seventy, there is truly nothing of great note.'"

There's a man who cultivated "beginner mind."

This is a nice story by Deborah Kogan Ray with beautiful illustrations. It is a wonderful story of a man who spent years patiently mastering his craft, culminating in his famous depictions of Mount Fuji. The story reminded me of a documentary a recently saw call “Jiro dreams of sushi,” that depicts Jiro as the greatest sushi chef that has ever lived. I highly recommend it. There’s a lot to be said for a lifetime of persistent effort in one area. The author chose to add a short summary of his life with a chronology, which helps put this man’s history in perspective to his country’s politics. The selected bibliography is short and offers no source notes, but to Ray’s credit, the story never feels contrived. Again, Ray’s show more paintings are fabulous. show less

This biography of Hokusai tells of this great artist's life from birth to death. The book shares of how this Japanese artist changed the art philosophy for the Eastern world, and influenced numerous famous artists. This biography is perfect for elementary students as it does provide appropriate details of his life. There is a bibliography for the reader as a source as well as the chronological timeline of his life.

Regardless of the resources provided by this book, the artist, Hokusai, life teaches children social justice, poverty, and resilience. This biography also introduces Japanese culture, such as the clothing, food, housing, and lifestyles.

I don't usually read biographies, so all I feel qualified to say is that I am glad I spent 10 minutes reading this and learning a bit about the man and the time & place, but don't feel moved or particularly enlightened.

A very interesting biography of Hokusai for children with very nice illustrations.

Hokusai's love for sketching began because of his interest in pictures and books. He became an apprentice at a print shop as an engraver and became very successful. He completed over thirty thousand pieces of work that influenced artists from around the world.