A Bird or Two: A Story about Henri Matisse

by Bijou Le Tord

Overview

A lyrical, vibrantly illustrated picture book biography of modern artist Henri Matisse.

In the brilliant sun of Nice, France, 20th-century artist Henri Matisse painted the brightest, boldest colors he could imagine. Joyfully, he painted everywhere and everyone. Enchanted and with a light heart, he painted all the time.

Bijou Le Tord’s A Bird or Two offers young readers a lively, poetic portrait of Matisse, one of history’s most masterful painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Le Tourd’s  joyful illustrations mirror the spirit, light, and colors of Matisse’s work, and her poetic words sing to the music of his pictures. Ideal for reading aloud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802851840
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/02/1999
Series:	Incredible Lives for Young Readers (ILYR)
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	5 - 11 Years

About the Author

Bijou Le Tord was born and raised in Saint-Raphael, on the French Riviera and studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Lyon, France. She later moved from France to America, settling in New York City, and started a career creating textile designs for such designers as Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta. She also taught the theory and practice of color fundamentals at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Bijou became a full-time writer and illustrator of children's books in 1976, and since then has written and illustrated over twenty books for children. Bijou's latest book is A Bird or Two: A Story About Henri Matisse. She is currently living in Sag Harbor, New York, and working on a picture book about Marc Chagall.

Editorial Reviews

Booklist
"Matisse is a dapper, grandfatherly figure on these pages, embodying a sense of art as life as surely as his paintings do."

Kirkus Reviews
"Using a free style of brushwork that evokes Matisse's own joy and energy, Le Tord alternates her versions of his art with scenes of the man himself, always nattily dressed, always industriously making art. This perceptive personal tribute will enhance readers' appreciation for Matisse's work."

Publishers Weekly
"When Le Tord declares that ‘Matisse/made us/“hear/with our/eyes/the music/he painted/in his/pictures,' her meaning comes through loud and clear — there is music in her work, too."

School Library Journal
"This lovely tribute to the father of modern art begins with his move to Nice, where he created some of his most joyful paintings, until his death at 84. . . Masterful illustrations filled with the rich colors, sparkling lights, and bold shapes that the artist loved echo his vision of life. This beautiful creation allows children to experience two gifted artists — Matisse and Le Tord."

The Horn Book Magazine
"Echoing Matisse's intense, beautifully balanced palette, his freely brushed black lines, and even his actual paintings, Le Tord creates a series of vibrant illustrations that in many ways resemble Matisse's own work."

From the Publisher

This lovely tribute to the father of modern art begins with his move to Nice, where he created some of his most joyful paintings, until his death at 84.... Masterful illustrations filled with the rich colors, sparkling lights, and bold shapes that the artist loved echo his vision of life. This beautiful creation allows children to experience two gifted artists—Matisse and Le Tord.

School Library Journal

When [Le Tord] declares that “Matisse/made us/'hear'/with our/eyes/the music/he painted/in his/pictures,” her meaning comes through loud and clear—there is music in her work, too.

Publishers Weekly

Echoing Matisse's intense, beautifully balanced palette, his freely brushed black lines, and even his actual paintings, Le Tord creates a series of vibrant illustrations that in many ways resemble Matisse's own work.

Horn Book Magazine