Review by Booklist Review
Sister Corita Kent gained international renown for her bold, pop-art silkscreen prints, and this captivating picture-book biography traces both her life and the development of her distinctive style. After showing promise as a young artist, Kent surprised everyone by becoming a nun, but it was as a teacher with her order that she not only learned her signature method but learned the importance of play and exploration, which became fundamental to both her teaching and her art. Kramer's illustrations do an excellent job of evoking Kent's style, with bright colors, blocky shapes, and text included in just about every spread, which incorporate some of Kent's classroom rules, like "consider everything an experiment." Burgess' text tidily links Kent's art to her work as a teacher, her religious beliefs, her powerful sense of justice, and her unguarded way of noticing beauty in the everyday, and the result is an affectionate, approachable portrait of an important artist (bolstered by helpful back matter with additional context about Kent). There aren't many books about Kent for a young audience, but her art--and approach to making it--is uncommonly kid-friendly, and this joyful volume will not only introduce her to children but encourage creative exploration and play.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Burgess's captivating picture book biography of Sister Corita Kent (1918--1986) tells the story of a person and an artist always in a state of becoming: "Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail. There's only make." From her working-class California childhood to her vocation as a nun, her introduction to screen printing through María Sodi de Ramos Martínez, and her interest in marketing messaging and material culture, Burgess shows how Kent's art grew out of her life and time: "For Corita, art and activism and protest and celebration were connected." Throughout, Kramer's illustration style shifts, subtly mirroring Kent's evolution as an artist by layering in signature motifs from her art--block-print letters, collage-like composition, screen print textures, and bright color--that reveal Kent's awareness of the world around her. It's a thoughtfully rendered introduction to an endlessly inspiring artist. Back matter includes a timeline and creators' notes. Ages 7--up. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--The idea that art is for everyone is at the heart of this picture book biography about pop artist, activist, teacher, and nun Sister Mary Corita Kent. Born Frances Elizabeth Kent in Hollywood, CA, in 1918, she was inspired by a nun who gave her art lessons in sixth grade, and by her father who encouraged her to create original art. After taking her vows, Kent divided her time between teaching art to school children and training young nuns to be teachers. She studied art history, learned printmaking, and specialized in silkscreen printing, or serigraphy. Kent invented the word plork, a combination of the words play and work to describe her approach to creating art. She used her artwork to speak out about injustice, poverty, and war. At age 50, Kent asked to be released from her vows and moved to Boston, where she was commissioned to paint a tank for the Boston Gas Company that became the largest copyrighted work of art in the world. Her continued success led to the opportunity to design a stamp for the United States Postal Service. Kent's design included a rainbow, which she used as a symbol of love, hope, and kindness. Back matter includes a chronology and notes by the author and illustrator. The vibrant artwork supports the text and incorporates quotes by Kent as it takes inspiration from her style. VERDICT An invitation to create and explore self-expression all wrapped up in the celebration of an artist kids aren't likely to have encountered yet; a highly recommended purchase for biography collections.--Samantha Lumetta, P.L. of Cincinnati and Hamilton Cty., OH
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Celebrate the life of artist, nun, and activist Corita Kent. When Frances Elizabeth Kent first receives art lessons as a sixth grader, she becomes, in Burgess' poetic telling, "a bird in the breeze of her brush"; the phrase is repeated with powerful effect in the final spread of this compelling picture-book biography. As an adult, Frances joins the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, becoming Sister Mary Corita. The book chronicles her years of teaching, during which she coins the portmanteau plork, "when play and work are one"; her training in silk-screening; and her transformation of the art department of Immaculate Heart College into a "lively center of art and design." With art that encourages seeing "the sacred in the everyday" and her passion for speaking out against social injustices and war, Corita makes waves and angers the archbishop. After release from her vows, she moves to Boston to continue to make art. The text shines with a deeply felt reverence for Corita's work and makes explicit her influence as a teacher, artist, and activist. Design choices, including a double gatefold in the book's center and a surprise cover beneath the dust jacket, emphasize Corita's inspired mission. The lively, brightly colored illustrations feature occasional photo collage elements and incorporate a vivid blue bird as a symbol of Corita and her artistic spirit. Corita is White; some classroom and community scenes include characters of color. Detailed backmatter fleshes out Corita's life and accomplishments. Delightful. Plork! (chronology, author's note, illustrator's note, quotation sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
