TALKING WITH ARTISTS by Pat Cummings

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cummings, Pat. 1992. Talking With Artists. V. 1. New York, NY: Bradbury Press. ISBN 0027242455

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Pat Cummings asks 14 children’s book illustrators (including Chess, Cummings, L. Dillon, D. Dillon, Egielski, Ehlert, Ernst, Feelings, Kellogg, Pinkney, Schwartz, Smith, Van Allsburg, Wiesner) the same questions commonly asked by children: Where do you get your ideas from? What is a normal day like for you? Where do you work? Do you have any children? Any pets? What do you enjoy drawing the most? Do you ever put people you know in your pictures? What do you use to make your pictures? How did you get to do your first book? The compilation of their responses also includes a brief biography, a photograph of the illustrators as children and as adults and sample artwork from childhood and as professionals.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book was created for young, aspiring artists. The cover and graphics are not very impressive for a book pertaining to illustration. The design and layout as a whole are also unexceptional. The childhood art samples are generally humble compared to future professional samples, but the effect is encouraging rather than intimidating for the juvenile artist-to-be. While sometimes bland, the content of the biographies serve to inspire young artists to pursue their artistic dreams.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Publisher's Weekly “…the often poignant reminiscences and outstanding talent on display cannot overcome the book's unimaginative layout and distractingly pragmatic text.”
From School Library Journal: “The cumulative result is a short course in how to succeed in the book business, and general agreement that illustration is a tremendously satisfying and enjoyable occupation.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Conduct an illustrator study of any of the featured illustrators.
*Create art similar to the illustrator’s juvenile or professional artwork.
*Compare styles between illustrators.
*Read other volumes from this series or other books about illustration/illustrators:
A Caldecott Celebration by Leonard Marcus
Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang
Ways of Telling: Conversations On The Art Of The Picture Book by Leonard Marcus
Side By Side: Five Favorite Picture Book Teams Go To Work by Leonard Marcus