Henri's Scissors

andlt;B andgt;Step into the colorful world of Henri Matisse and his magnificent paper cutouts!andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;pandgt;In a small weaving town in France, a young boy named Henri-Emile Matisse drew pictures everywhere, and when he grew up, he moved to Paris and became a famous artist who created paintings that were adored around the world. But late in life a

"After quickly tracing French painter Matisse's journey to becoming an artist ('He was happy, and his paintings made people happy') and explaining how illness left him unable to paint at the end of his life, Winter (Kali's Song) describes his discovery of a medium less physically demanding than painting but just as expressive: painted paper and scissors. 'Why didn't I think of it earlier?' he asks delightedly. Simple, folk-style paintings show Matisse in a wheelchair in a studio amid his collages; in a quiet visual cue, a plant with oversize leaves suggests inspiration for their big, organic shapes. He continues to create until his death, another moment Winter handles gracefully: 'The rainbow of shapes cradled the old artist and carried him into the heavens.' Old age can be fertile and useful, Winter implies; disability doesn't mean the end of creating, and triumph is possible where only sadness could have been foreseen. All of these messages lie obliquely in the text, but even readers who don't dig that deep will share Matisse's joy. Ages 5 — 8. Agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Aug.)â–" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

andlt;Bandgt;Jeanette Winterandlt;/Bandgt; is the acclaimed author/illustrator of many highly regarded picture books, including andlt;iandgt;The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraqandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Mama: A True Storyandlt;/iandgt; andlt;iandgt;in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama During a Tsunami, but Finds a New Homeandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;and a New Mamaandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africaandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistanandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombiaandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; andlt;/iandgt;and most recently, andlt;iandgt;Henri's Scissorsandlt;/iandgt;. She lives with her husband, artist Roger Winter, in New York.andlt;Bandgt;Jeanette Winterandlt;/Bandgt; is the acclaimed author/illustrator of many highly regarded picture books, including andlt;iandgt;The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraqandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Mama: A True Storyandlt;/iandgt; andlt;iandgt;in Which a Baby Hippo Loses His Mama During a Tsunami, but Finds a New Homeandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;and a New Mamaandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africaandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistanandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombiaandlt;/iandgt;;andlt;iandgt; andlt;/iandgt;and most recently, andlt;iandgt;Henri's Scissorsandlt;/iandgt;. She lives with her husband, artist Roger Winter, in New York.