★ 03/11/2019
Greenberg and Jordan (Meet Cindy Sherman) continue their impressive series of artist biographies with an account of 20th-century sculptor Alberto Giacometti and his brother Diego. The two grew up in Switzerland, born only a year apart, Alberto artistic and introspective, Diego adventurous: “One a daredevil, the other a dreamer, they are tied to each other as if by some secret understanding.” Alberto’s career begins in a Paris studio, and Diego joins him there, first as a model for Alberto, then, during WWII, learning how to cast in bronze. After the war, when Alberto’s gaunt, spare figures gain recognition as emblems that “rise up courageously from these ruins,” Diego casts and mounts the pieces, occasionally working on “sculptures of animals he stalked as a child.” Illustrations by Hooper (Mabel and Sam at Home) exude warmth in expressive black contours, and large planes of colored wash—the blue of Paris at night, the red of war—provide the spreads with moody overtones. Diego and his devotion to his brother emerge as the story’s most appealing elements in this fascinating retrospective. Back matter offers a detailed chronology, notes, and photos. Ages 7–10. (Apr.)
★ 02/01/2019
Gr 4–6—Alberto Giacometti is best known for his bronze sculptures: wiry, elongated figures in motion, "survivors [rising] courageously" from the "ruins of war." Lesser known is the work of his brother Diego, whom Alberto took under his wing as an assistant and model; Diego later became an expert in bronze casting and, eventually, a sculptor in his own right. Beginning with the story of their childhood in the Swiss Alps, the authors paint a picture of two very different siblings: one who drew and painted from an early age ("a dreamer") and the other who fearlessly roamed the outdoors ("a daredevil"). Dates as chapter headings record the brothers' lives and development as artists against the backdrop of the 20th century and World War II. While the book's audience may not fully understand the impact of that war, the weariness of those who survived a "Europe in chaos" is clear. Hooper's evocative mixed-media illustrations capture the period in stunning detail. Featuring a strong black line, they bring figures into the foreground in scenes awash in pink, blue, green, or gold. Alberto's belief that "a single human face can give an artist the subject matter to fill a lifetime" is illustrated with nine sculptural images of Diego—each from a different angle—and the artist warily looking over his shoulder at his creations. Endnotes and a close examination of Giacometti's iconic Walking Man—its line, form, texture, and color—offers readers a way to think and talk about art and a greater appreciation of the work. VERDICT Don't miss this moving, brilliantly illustrated picture book portrait of brothers in art.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
★ 2019-01-28
Readers meet two Swiss sculptors, brothers born a year apart, whose intertwined artistic lives spanned most of the 20th century and two world wars.
Multiaward-winning team Greenberg and Jordan are best known for their astonishing ability to decode and explore sophisticated artists and movements: abstraction (Action Jackson, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker, 2002), modern dance (Ballet for Martha, illustrated by Brian Floca, 2010), and art photography (Meet Cindy Sherman, 2017). Here they turn to the Giacometti brothers, born at the turn of the 20th century. The older, Alberto, was pronounced a "genius" by his family. Art academy- and studio-trained, driven to make sculpture like his hero, Rodin, he eventually found his way to Paris. The simple dual biography explains how the family dynamic required that his sometimes-unfocused younger brother, Diego, join him there. Spare text describes how Diego became a skilled, sensitive metal worker, beginning as Alberto's invaluable studio assistant and becoming Alberto's true, artistic amanuensis. Hooper's low-key, child-friendly details keep readers turning the pages. Ingenious scratchy, angular lines echo the wire models Diego fashioned to support Alberto's striking and evocative original clay figures (most were later cast in bronze). She overlays the lines on broad, patchworked areas of serigraphlike spreads, offering effective, emotional undertones to the action of the text and the tenor of the times. Backmatter includes a focus on Alberto's iconic, tensile, postwar masterpiece, Walking Man.
An extraordinary achievement and a moving, affecting evocation of two lives lived together. (illustrated timeline, notes, photographs, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-10)
★ "Hooper’s evocative mixed-media illustrations capture the period in stunning detail. Featuring a strong black line, they bring figures into the foreground in scenes awash in pink, blue, green, or gold. . . . Don’t miss this moving, brilliantly illustrated picture book portrait of brothers in art."—School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ "Multiaward-winning team Greenberg and Jordan are best known for their astonishing ability to decode and explore sophisticated artists and movements . . . Hooper's low-key, child-friendly details keep readers turning the pages. . . . An extraordinary achievement and a moving, affecting evocation of two lives lived together."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ "Hooper’s loosely drawn and colored illustrations are a fine accompaniment to the less structured forms of both Giacomettis. Observant readers will notice how the shadow of the brothers arm-in-arm pays tribute to Alberto’s style. Concluding thumbnails of the brothers’ art, an analysis of Alberto’s Walking Man, and other important back matter add further insight. A moving introduction to this creative and symbiotic pair."—Booklist, Starred Review
★ "Illustrations by Hooper (Mabel and Sam at Home) exude warmth in expressive black contours, and large planes of colored wash—the blue of Paris at night, the red of war—provide the spreads with moody overtones. Diego and his devotion to his brother emerge as the story’s most appealing elements in this fascinating retrospective."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ "Hooper’s art, in paint and ink and finished digitally, is cohesive yet strikingly dynamic; see the final vignette of the two brothers together casting long, skeletal shadows recalling Alberto’s famous style. Back matter respectfully guides readers through looking at Walking Man II; photos, source notes, a timeline, and a bibliography are included."—The Horn Book Magazine, Starred Review
"Short sentences impel the narrative forward with poetic pulse and economy, and the careful balance of the Giacomettis’ art and domestic worlds extends the title’s interest. The vibrant colors of Hooper’s mixed-media illustrations are, though appealing, nearly extraneous in light of the commanding black line work that harmonizes with Alberto’s and Diego’s slender metal creations." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
