Faith Ringgold (Portraits of Women Artists)
Gr. 2-6. Written for the Portraits of Women Artists for Children series, this book focuses on Faith Ringgold, an African American artist known for her vivid paintings, her "story quilts," and, in the children's book world, her Caldecott Honor BookTar Beach(1991). Turner describes the artist's life and her work, deftly weaving the two related strands into an involving narrative. Although Turner does not minimize the difficulties Ringgold faced as a black woman in the art field, the artist emerges not as an exception to the norm or an example to others but as a strong and gifted individual whose family and heritage are vital to her work. Illustrated on every page, the book features clear black-and-white photographs of the artist and her family and full-color reproductions of Ringgold's paintings and quilts as well as smaller photos of other artists' works that have inspired her. Well written and well designed, the book is a notable addition to a fine series. One note--despite the brevity of the text, an index would have been helpful.Carolyn Phelan