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About Picasso: I The King, Yo El Rey
Product Description Pablo Picasso’s relationships with both his children and his female companions were often tempestuous and destructive, but they provided the drama on which he fed as he created one groundbreaking work after another. From ceramics to print making to sculpture to photography to poetry–Picasso had a huge appetite for expressing himself through every kind of artistic medium, and he is now considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. With bold, powerful oil paintings, David Diaz captures the intensity of a man who once signed a drawing as “Yo el rey” or “I the King.” From School Library Journal This latest of Bernier-Grand’s carefully researched and attractively formatted biographies is written, like her recent others, in free-verse style with strong, rhythmic phrasing that draws readers through each of 40 individually titled pieces and into the life of the prolific artist. Quotes by Picasso appear often–with their sources listed in the endnotes. The artist’s strong will and drive are demonstrated in his decision to wander Madrid with sketchbook in lieu of attending art school; by his insistent attempts to develop his own style (e.g., his Blue Period; his fascination with masklike faces; his creation of Cubism); by his move to Paris; and his insatiable desire for women. Picasso’s liaisons with his nine lovers–two of them wives–and the impact of each upon his artwork are an integral part of his life story. (“As paint is to brush, women are to Picasso’s art.”) The strong emphasis on his sexuality and the artistic inspiration he derived from his women runs through the poems. (“Picasso,/a minotaur,/bull-man,/ravenous for orgies./Maidens must sacrifice everything/to be immortal in his art,/and multiply his glory.”) He is also presented as a loving father who delighted in observing and painting his four children. Diaz has used acrylic, charcoal, and varnish on masonite board to create smooth-surfaced paintings of Picasso and the people in his life, their angular, stylized Hispanic faces often displaying echoes of Cubism. Five reproductions are included, with brief notes. A three-page synopsis of his life; a thorough chronology; a short glossary of included Spanish words; and a source list are appended. A memorable, informative introduction to an artistic genius. –School Library Journal, January 2013 From Booklist Following Bernier-Grand’s previous verse biographies of artists, including Frida: Viva la vida! Long Live Life! (2007) and Diego: Bigger than Life (2009), this picture book tells Picasso’s life story in dramatic poems and images. Starting with his youth in poverty (when he burned his drawings to warm himself), the verse selections follow the artist through his pioneer role in cubism, the gestapo’s banning of his work as “degenerative art,” and the many women in his life who inspired his art. Diaz’s handsome oil paintings with thick black lines echo elements of cubism and extend the metaphors: as in an image of Picasso as a Minotaur with a human face, a “bull man / ravenous for orgies.” The extensive back matter fills in more, including notes on paintings reproduced in the pages, as well as a detailed chronology. Appended prose about the genius with so many faults will further spark discussion, especially with those who know and who love his art. — Hazel Rochman, Booklist November 1, 2012 About the Author Carmen T. Bernier-Grand grew up in Puerto Rico. She is the author of several children’s books, including Shake It, Morena and Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico. She lives in Portland, Oregon. David Díaz won the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in Smoky Night by Eve Bunting. His artwork has appeared in a number of other distinguished titles, including The Pot that Juan Built and Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman. His work has also been featured in national publications such as The Atlantic Monthly and The Washington Post. He lives in
