A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

Horace Pippin loved to draw when he was a child, using whatever materials he had... read more

Horace Pippin loved to draw when he was a child, using whatever materials he had at hand. Once he started work as a young teen to help support his family he still drew whenever he could. Then Horace went off to fight in World War I and was injured. No longer able to lift the arm with which he drew, he used one hand to hold the other up and began creating scenes burned in wood, and then continued painting. His subjects were the images that filled his mind-of times of war, of scenes from daily life, of stories from the Bible, of meaningful moments in history. Jen Bryant's lovely narrative tribute to the self-taught African American painter embraces Horace's humility and grace. Illustrator Melissa Sweet's thoughtfully composed, often moving mixed-media illustrations draw inspiration directly from Pippin's palette, as well as details from his life, and words that he spoke: Quotes from Horace Pippin are incorporated into the art. A historical note provides a photograph of Pippin and more information about his life and work. The picture book biography concludes with notes on the author's and illustrator's research, source notes, and ample resources for further inquiry. (Small reproductions of several of Pippin's paintings appear on the back endpapers.) (Ages 5-9)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2014

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