Covered in Color

July 25, 2022
Boxer focuses on the way that the early experiences of artist Christo (1935–2020) under authoritarian regimes shaped his large public works. While partner Jeanne-Claude (1935–2009) makes some appearances, the text focuses primarily on Christo. Beginning with his youth in Nazi-occupied and then Communist-controlled Bulgaria, urgent-sounding lines describe a budding artist who chafed under restrictions before finally escaping to Paris and beginning his reputation-defining work: wrapping structures including buildings, coastlines, monuments, and even islands in fabric. The narrative reaches its culmination with the creation of New York City’s The Gates, 26 years in the making per an author’s note. Chapman’s fluid, rainbow-hued, predominantly watercolor and gouache illustrations burst with movement—an ideal accompaniment befitting the artists’ aesthetic. Author and artist notes, endnotes, and sources conclude. Ages 4–8.

August 26, 2022

PreS-Gr 3-This is the story of two 20th-century artists who created artwork on a truly massive scale; they used huge pieces of fabric to wrap buildings to create colorful, beautiful, gigantic art. Their story of life, love, and art is illustrated by Chapman, who captures the beauty, movement, and scale of the partners' creations in sweeping scenes. Boxer's storytelling weaves neatly into the artwork, mirroring, perhaps, the democratic and equitable relationship between the two artists and romantic partners. The story starts with Christo's childhood during World War II and explores how those early years of hardship and trauma are part of what made Christo the artist he became, following his path across the globe, to meeting Jeanne-Claude, to their collaborative process. Over the course of the book, readers learn of the obstacles, rejections, and successes of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, in accessible prose and dynamic artwork. Back matter includes an author's note and an artist's note, as well as sources for further research. VERDICT The scale of the creations alone make for interesting study; young readers will be enthralled by the thinking and planning that went along with these massive undertakings.-Jessica Schriver

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2022
Grades K-3 Chronicling the life and work of artist Christo, this sometimes serious, sometimes playful work also has lots to teach about artistic resilience. When Christo was a boy in 1930s Bulgaria, his world "swirled with color, a joy that ended when Nazis arrived." Christo's father had to burn the family's books of forbidden art. Boxer then follows Christo's resistance to censorship as he grew, a determination that led him to leave for Paris and then, with partner Jeanne-Claude, for New York, where his career began to flourish. While Boxer describes Christo's smaller works, the focus is on his famed wrappings. The work ends with a close look at The Gates, for which Christo and partner Jeanne-Claude, after years of opposition, installed 7,503 saffron banners in New York's Central Park. Made with watercolor, gouache, and Photoshop, the exuberant images in this work add a playful element, depicting the artists and their work in a style that somewhat resembles Chris Raschka's. Pair with Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan's Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond (2008) for an intriguing art lesson.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2022
This reverent picture-book biography of the art-world pair (focused mainly on Christo) begins with a formative moment in the young man's life. While Nazis search his Bulgarian town for Russian propaganda, Christo's family burns his beloved Russian art books. Nazism is followed by Communism, under which Christo can create only state-sanctioned art; and Boxer draws a through line between political repression and Christo's eventual conception of his and Jeanne-Claude's artwork as "a scream of freedom." Christo later meets and falls in love with Jeanne-Claude in France; the couple moves to New York, where they begin to execute their large-scale art projects, wrapping buildings, coastlines, and islands, and scattering umbrellas across California and Japan. In 2005, they realize their dream of constructing The Gates: twenty-three miles of saffron-curtained archways winding through Central Park. Chapman's loose, diaphanous illustrations capture the whimsy and exuberance of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's art. Figures peek through the luminous layers of watercolor as if wrapped in sheer curtains, and abstract designs depict times of emotional turmoil and triumph. Author and artist notes offer more biographical details and invite readers to contemplate the meaning behind the art installations, and a list of recommended sources encourages further exploration of this idiosyncratic pair. K Rachael Stein

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 15, 2022
Freedom can come in all forms, backgrounds, textures, and hues. Endpapers depicting brilliant pink fabric foreshadow the motif of fabric and color to come. Poetic prose depicts Christo's early life, filled with colorful books as well as political and social strife after the Nazis arrived in his Bulgarian town. Orange and red flames leap across the spread from the fireplace in which Christo's parents burned those colorful, now-dangerous books to keep their family safe. This brutal event influenced Christo, who sought to depict truth and life in his art. Fleeing to France, he discovered an affinity for sculpture--in particular, for wrapping objects in canvas. When he met Jeanne-Claude, they moved to America to pursue their dreams. Though it took 25 years, at last their installation The Gates appeared in Central Park in New York as miles of orange fabric billowed in the wind like the flames in the fireplace, a tangerine curtain defying fascism. Filled with watercolor and gouache whorls outlined in black, each spread pops and crackles with dazzling colors. Close-up vignettes accompany full-page illustrations, enticing readers to slow down and look again and again. The concise yet vivid text is supplemented by extensive backmatter that includes photographs, author's and artist's notes, and more. This one is perfect for storytimes and interdisciplinary curriculum units alike. Chisto and Jeanne-Claude present White; background characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Draped in striking hues and compelling from cover to cover--a gem of a biography! (notes, selected sources) (Picture-book biography. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
This reverent picture-book biography of the art-world pair (focused mainly on Christo) begins with a formative moment in the young man's life. While Nazis search his Bulgarian town for Russian propaganda, Christo's family burns his beloved Russian art books. Nazism is followed by Communism, under which Christo can create only state-sanctioned art; and Boxer draws a through line betweeen political repression and Christo's eventual conception of his and Jeanne-Claude's artwork as "a scream of freedom." Christo later meets and falls in love with Jeanne-Claude in France; the couple moves to New York, where they begin to execute their large-scale art projects, wrapping buildings, coastlines, and islands, and scattering umbrellas across California and Japan. In 2005, they realize their dream of constructing The Gates: twenty-three miles of saffron-curtained archways winding through Central Park. Chapman's loose, diaphanous illustrations capture the whimsy and exuberance of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's art. Figures peek through the luminous layers of watercolor as if wrapped in sheer curtains, and abstract designs depict times of emotional turmoil and triumph. Author and artist notes offer more biographical details and invite readers to contemplate the meaning behind the art installations, and a list of recommended sources encourages further exploration of this idiosyncratic pair.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)