Synopses & Reviews
There is no other like Quilt of States-the unique combination of handmade quilts with the voice of each state heard through the writing of one of the state's librarians to illustrate the coming together of the United States of America.
Using one of the only two original American folk art forms-quilting (jazz is the other)-Adrienne Yorinks demonstrates her amazing talent for using quilts not only as art, but as information sources. Her work illustrated the history of our country and is accompanied by the words of librarians from every state in the Union.
The book begins by giving a brief history of America before the formation of states, from our earliest inhabitants, to the Native American struggle, and the arrival of Europeans on our shores. The book is in order of the dates of statehood, beginning with our oldest state, Delaware, and ending with our newest, Hawaii. Each double page spread is devoted to one state and shows icons in the quilt of things that the state if known for; for example, Idaho features Spuddie, the Idaho Potato Commission's mascot to demonstrate the importance of potatoes to the history of Idaho.
Five feature spreads show the political geography of America at each time period, such as the Missouri Compromise or the Louisiana Purchase. In the backmatter, Ms. Yorinks includes an author's note that speaks about why she felt so strongly about this book and discusses the artistic processes that she went through to create it.
Quilt of States is literally a work of art while still being an incredibly useful tool for teaching children about the formation of the United States and our political process.
Synopsis
There is no book quite like
Quilt of States—the unique combination of handmade quilts with the voice of each state heard through the writing of one of the state's librarians to illustrate the coming together of the United States of America.
Using one of the only two original American folk art forms—quilting (jazz is the other)—Adrienne Yorinks demonstrates her amazing talent for using quilts not only as art, but as information sources. Her work illustrates the history of our country and is accompanied by the words of librarians from every state in the Union.
About the Author
Adrienne Yorinks is an accomplished illustrator and fabric designer. She has illustrated many childrens and adult books with her quilts. In addition to her work on books, she designs fabrics for a textile company in New York City.