Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott

by Joyce Scott, Brie Spangler, Melissa Sweet, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

A moving and powerful introduction to the life and art of renowned artist, Judith Scott, as told by her twin sister, Joyce Scott and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist, Melissa Sweet.

Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome. She was deaf, and never learned to speak. She was also a talented artist. Judith was institutionalized until her sister Joyce reunited with her and enrolled her in an art class. Judith went on to become an artist of renown with her work displayed in museums and galleries around the world.

Poignantly told by Joyce Scott in collaboration with Brie Spangler and Melissa Sweet and beautifully illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist, Melissa Sweet, Unbound is inspiring and warm, showing us that we can soar beyond our perceived limitations and accomplish something extraordinary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525648116
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	06/08/2021
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joyce Wallace Scott is an educator, RN, development specialist, and published poet. She serves on the advisory board of the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, and is currently involved in establishing the first program for artists with disabilities in Bali, dedicated to her sister's memory. She lives in Dutch Flat, California, with her husband.

Brie Spangler graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and is the author-illustrator of two picture books, Peg Leg Peke and The Grumpy Dump Truck. She also wrote a YA novel, Beast. Learn more about Brie and her books at BrieSpangler.com or on Twitter at @BrieSpangler.

Melissa Sweet is the Caldecott Honor artist of A River of Words by Jen Bryant, The Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra, and Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter, among others. She is also the author-illustrator of Balloons Over Broadway, which was awarded a Robert F. Sibert Medal. You can find her online at melissasweet.net and on instagram at @melissasweetillustrator.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/03/2021

Scott (Entwined, for adults) and Spangler (Beast) begin this powerful picture biography of Scott’s twin sister Judith (1943–2005) with a description of their early childhood. Joyce and Judy did everything together: “I don’t know if everything comes in twos, but it seems that way to me!” But when Joyce is ready to attend school, Judy, who has “what will come to be known as Down syndrome,” stays home. One morning, Joyce wakes up to find Judy gone, institutionalized by their parents. As an adult, Joyce brings her sister to live with her family and enrolls her in an art program, where Judy begins making intricate, colorful constructions with string, twigs, and found objects, word of which grows among buyers, critics, and museums. In delicate lines, illustrator Sweet (Alphamaniacs) commemorates the story’s most emotive moments—Joyce’s desolation, clutching twin stuffed bunnies, when Judy vanishes, and the whole-family embrace that enfolds Judy when she arrives to live with Joyce’s family. Told in an order that allows readers to appreciate Judy the way Joyce does, this book’s creators successfully render a personal story of love, nurture, and individual gifts. Back matter includes more information and photos of Judy’s fiber art. Ages 4–8. Authors’ agents: (for Scott) Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret; (for Spangler) Mackenzie Brady Watson, Stuart Krichevsky. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Told in an order that allows readers to appreciate Judy the way Joyce does, this book’s creators successfully render a personal story of love, nurture, and individual gifts.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A sweet yet troubling account of sisterhood and the power of art.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

07/01/2021

Gr 2–4—This is the true story of twin sisters Joyce and Judy, who are inseparable, until Joyce goes to school and Judy can't because she has Down syndrome. Even after Judy is institutionalized, Joyce continues to be involved as much as she can with her. As an adult, Joyce becomes Judy's legal guardian and brings her home to live with her and her family. Joyce enrolls Judy in an art program that is designed to help her express herself. After some time in this school, an artist is born; after Judy dies of heart failure, her art and story continue to inspire people. This book is an amazing tribute to the determination and unshakeable bond of these siblings, who are white. The illustrations use lots of fiber art and other mixed media art in a way Judy would appreciate. Pictures with Judy and her sister are bright and colorful, while those of Judy's elementary school and other moments in time, not as happy, are darker. VERDICT For the art shelves or biography, this is a tale that teaches empathy; the coauthors and illustrator have recreated a loving world with harsh realities dancing around the melancholy edges.—Dorinda Brown, High Plains Community Schs., Polk, NE

School Library Journal

2021-05-05
Scott reminisces about her twin sister, an artist with Down syndrome.

Growing up, Joyce and Judy are “each other’s world.” When Joyce starts kindergarten, Judy is diagnosed with Down syndrome and a weak heart. Doctors say she won’t get better, but Joyce knows her sister is “perfect just the way she is.” To help her learn to speak, her parents send Judy to a special school, and Joyce’s world is “replaced with the colors of gone.” Judy lives in the grim institution until adulthood. Now her sister’s guardian, Scott is stunned to discover that she has been deaf since childhood. Appalled she’s been denied education, Scott enrolls her twin at an Oakland art studio for adults with disabilities. There, Judy Scott finds a passion: creating sculptures from fibers and found objects. For years, Judy Scott expresses herself through art…until, the day after she makes a small, black piece unlike her usual colorful work and gives her sister her magazine collection, she dies of heart failure in author Scott’s arms. It’s bittersweet that she’s “celebrated as a great artist” after her death. Co-written with Spangler and Sweet, Scott’s prose poetically conveys the sisters’ strong bond; Sweet’s nuanced, eye-catching illustrations mimic Judy Scott’s eclectic artwork with vivid colors and bristling collages while depicting the sisters’ love with soft hues. However, the focus, perhaps by necessity, is on the author’s relationship with and feelings about her sister, throwing Judy Scott’s isolated upbringing into sharp relief and rendering her story as disquieting as it is triumphant. The Scott sisters present White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet yet troubling account of sisterhood and the power of art. (timeline, photos, author's note, illustrator's note, sources, resources) (Picture book/biography. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews

In this biographical look at artist Judith Scott told from her twin sister's point of view, young listeners are given a glimpse of the power of art. The story is told in short, spare poems, and author Joyce Scott's affection and reverence for her sister come through in her narration. Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome at a time when it was not understood. She spent most of her life in an institution until her twin, the author, was able to become her guardian. Joyce enrolled Judith in an art class, in which Judith began to thrive and express herself through her unique artwork. Judith's story encourages listeners to share their voices in whatever way they can. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

In this biographical look at artist Judith Scott told from her twin sister's point of view, young listeners are given a glimpse of the power of art. The story is told in short, spare poems, and author Joyce Scott's affection and reverence for her sister come through in her narration. Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome at a time when it was not understood. She spent most of her life in an institution until her twin, the author, was able to become her guardian. Joyce enrolled Judith in an art class, in which Judith began to thrive and express herself through her unique artwork. Judith's story encourages listeners to share their voices in whatever way they can. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile