30. The People's Painter

The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art. Cynthia Levinson. Illustrated by Evan Turk. 2021. [April] 48 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: From the time he could grasp a pencil, Ben Shahn yearned to draw everything he saw in his village in Lithuania.

Premise/plot: The People's Painter is a picture book biography of Ben Shahn. 

My thoughts: I love learning. I do. And picture books are a great format for learning new-to-me stories. I had never heard of Ben Shahn, a Jewish artist and activist before reading this award-winning picture book. I am SO glad I read it. I thought it was packed with information--in an age appropriate way. The art and text work together so well. (As you'd expect in a picture book about an artist.)

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers

166. The Welcome Chair

The Welcome Chair. Rosemary Wells. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. 2021. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: In the year 1807, Sam Seigbert is born in the kingdom of Bavaria.

Premise/plot: An immigrant, Sam Seigbert, crafts a wooden rocking chair and engraves it with the word 'welcome.' (Technically WILLKOMMEN) Through the years, the word 'welcome' is engraved in a handful of different languages. The picture book provides a glimpse into almost two hundred years' worth of immigration stories. (Not that there is a story for every year--or even decade. But the book allows for readers to see how immigration and immigrants has been viewed. The first story taking place circa 1820s.) 

My thoughts: I went into this one wanting to love it or at the very least like it. It has at least three starred reviews (Booklist, BookPage, Kirkus). It is on a timely subject--immigration. The fact that the author was inspired by a family diary from a hundred years ago, it made me want to love it. 

But it just didn't work for me. I thought the story linking all these immigration stories together into one bigger story was weak. The individual stories had merit--I just didn't see the need to link them all together by using a physical chair. I didn't see how one chair could find its way about so many families, so many generations, so many places. 

The author's note reveals that some of the earlier stories were from her own family tree, but she felt the need to tack on other immigration stories from other decades to bring the story to the present day. And the other stories do feel tacked on. Yes, that's just my opinion. Yes, I'm just one person. There are many, many, many people who seem to love and adore this one just as is. But for me it just didn't work. 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers