Ezra Jack Keats: A Biography With Illustrations
Grade 3-6?Engel and Freedman, both friends of the deceased artist, have produced a simply and lovingly written biography, said to be based on their conversations with Keats and on his autobiographical essays. They trace his beginnings in Brooklyn, NY, as Jack Ezra Katz, and describe his early years during the Depression and the obstacles he had to overcome to realize his dream of becoming an artist. Appropriately, the text is accompanied by his paintings, sketches, and illustrations from some of his more than 20 children's books. Readers are treated to beautiful full-color reproductions from such titles as The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962), Goggles! (Aladdin, 1987), The Trip (Morrow, 1987), Louie's Search (Four Winds, 1984), and Apt. 3 (Aladdin, 1986). Unfortunately, the book has neither a bibliography nor endnotes. Nonetheless, this attractive, oversized volume is a must read for Keats's many fans and a marvelous way to introduce (or reintroduce) children to his work.?Carol Jones Collins, Montclair Kimberley Academy, NJCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.