A Picture for Marc (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) [Hardcover]

Eric A. Kimmel (Author), Matthew Trueman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: A Stepping Stone Book(TM)

GROWING UP IN Russia in the late 1800s, Marc Chagall doesn't know what art is. He doesn't even know what drawing is until one of his
schoolmates shows him how to trace a picture in a magazine. Marc tries it himself, then decides to pull pictures out of his own mind - his Uncle Noah on the roof, giant chickens, flying cows, happy men with fiddles, and women with lambs. Suddenly Marc knows what he wants to do with his life. He wants to be an artist!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Marc Chagall claims he never saw a drawing until age 16, when a classmate sat tracing a magazine picture. Kimmel uses Chagall's memory as the basis for his own story in which a younger Marc first encounters art. After a brief stint of tracing, he begins drawing original pictures, all the while pondering the difference between copying and drawing, the meaning of art, and eventually, the role of artist to show us what is truly beautiful and important in the world. Once Marc realizes his passion for art, he must convince his skeptical parents to let him study with a local art teacher. Trueman's fine black-and-white illustrations capture Chagall's fluid style and appear at regular intervals. Fictional components make the book inappropriate for reports, and the book is more conversation than action, but Kimmel succeeds at making the abstract concept of art accessible to young readers. A list of sources and an author's note are appended. Harold, Suzanne

Review

“For this fictionalized account, Kimmel takes only the bare bones of Chagall’s story—the Russian village, the influential art teacher, the worried parents—to get across what is truly important: to follow your dream.”—Kirkus Reviews


From the Trade Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037583253X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375832536
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.6 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,297,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric A. Kimmel is well known for the tales he has retold from around the world. Some of his best-known titles are "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins" (a Caldecott Honor book), "Gershon's Monster", "Anansi and the Talking Melon", and "The Runaway Tortilla". A former professor of children's literature, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice Marc Chagall biography, February 27, 2010

By 

Library Lady (Vancouver, Washington) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Picture for Marc (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Hardcover)

This well written biography is perfect for 6-10 year olds and even a pleasant quick read for an adult!
Interesting and has nice little pen and ink illustrations.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid fictionalization., December 3, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Picture for Marc (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Hardcover)

Eric A. Kimmel's A PICTURE FOR MARC tells of a boy who grows up in a small Russian town in the late 1800s, and who doesn't know what art or drawing is. When he discovers his hidden talent, he decides to make pictures nobody has ever seen before - with unexpected results. The story of artist Marc Chagall's discovery of his talent translates well to a vivid fictionalization.