JULY 2021 - AudioFile
In this biographical look at artist Judith Scott told from her twin sister's point of view, young listeners are given a glimpse of the power of art. The story is told in short, spare poems, and author Joyce Scott's affection and reverence for her sister come through in her narration. Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome at a time when it was not understood. She spent most of her life in an institution until her twin, the author, was able to become her guardian. Joyce enrolled Judith in an art class, in which Judith began to thrive and express herself through her unique artwork. Judith's story encourages listeners to share their voices in whatever way they can. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 05/03/2021
Scott (Entwined, for adults) and Spangler (Beast) begin this powerful picture biography of Scott’s twin sister Judith (1943–2005) with a description of their early childhood. Joyce and Judy did everything together: “I don’t know if everything comes in twos, but it seems that way to me!” But when Joyce is ready to attend school, Judy, who has “what will come to be known as Down syndrome,” stays home. One morning, Joyce wakes up to find Judy gone, institutionalized by their parents. As an adult, Joyce brings her sister to live with her family and enrolls her in an art program, where Judy begins making intricate, colorful constructions with string, twigs, and found objects, word of which grows among buyers, critics, and museums. In delicate lines, illustrator Sweet (Alphamaniacs) commemorates the story’s most emotive moments—Joyce’s desolation, clutching twin stuffed bunnies, when Judy vanishes, and the whole-family embrace that enfolds Judy when she arrives to live with Joyce’s family. Told in an order that allows readers to appreciate Judy the way Joyce does, this book’s creators successfully render a personal story of love, nurture, and individual gifts. Back matter includes more information and photos of Judy’s fiber art. Ages 4–8. Authors’ agents: (for Scott) Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret; (for Spangler) Mackenzie Brady Watson, Stuart Krichevsky. (June)
From the Publisher
"Told in an order that allows readers to appreciate Judy the way Joyce does, this book’s creators successfully render a personal story of love, nurture, and individual gifts.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A sweet yet troubling account of sisterhood and the power of art.” —Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
07/01/2021
Gr 2–4—This is the true story of twin sisters Joyce and Judy, who are inseparable, until Joyce goes to school and Judy can't because she has Down syndrome. Even after Judy is institutionalized, Joyce continues to be involved as much as she can with her. As an adult, Joyce becomes Judy's legal guardian and brings her home to live with her and her family. Joyce enrolls Judy in an art program that is designed to help her express herself. After some time in this school, an artist is born; after Judy dies of heart failure, her art and story continue to inspire people. This book is an amazing tribute to the determination and unshakeable bond of these siblings, who are white. The illustrations use lots of fiber art and other mixed media art in a way Judy would appreciate. Pictures with Judy and her sister are bright and colorful, while those of Judy's elementary school and other moments in time, not as happy, are darker. VERDICT For the art shelves or biography, this is a tale that teaches empathy; the coauthors and illustrator have recreated a loving world with harsh realities dancing around the melancholy edges.—Dorinda Brown, High Plains Community Schs., Polk, NE
JULY 2021 - AudioFile
In this biographical look at artist Judith Scott told from her twin sister's point of view, young listeners are given a glimpse of the power of art. The story is told in short, spare poems, and author Joyce Scott's affection and reverence for her sister come through in her narration. Judith Scott was born with Down syndrome at a time when it was not understood. She spent most of her life in an institution until her twin, the author, was able to become her guardian. Joyce enrolled Judith in an art class, in which Judith began to thrive and express herself through her unique artwork. Judith's story encourages listeners to share their voices in whatever way they can. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-05
Scott reminisces about her twin sister, an artist with Down syndrome.
Growing up, Joyce and Judy are “each other’s world.” When Joyce starts kindergarten, Judy is diagnosed with Down syndrome and a weak heart. Doctors say she won’t get better, but Joyce knows her sister is “perfect just the way she is.” To help her learn to speak, her parents send Judy to a special school, and Joyce’s world is “replaced with the colors of gone.” Judy lives in the grim institution until adulthood. Now her sister’s guardian, Scott is stunned to discover that she has been deaf since childhood. Appalled she’s been denied education, Scott enrolls her twin at an Oakland art studio for adults with disabilities. There, Judy Scott finds a passion: creating sculptures from fibers and found objects. For years, Judy Scott expresses herself through art…until, the day after she makes a small, black piece unlike her usual colorful work and gives her sister her magazine collection, she dies of heart failure in author Scott’s arms. It’s bittersweet that she’s “celebrated as a great artist” after her death. Co-written with Spangler and Sweet, Scott’s prose poetically conveys the sisters’ strong bond; Sweet’s nuanced, eye-catching illustrations mimic Judy Scott’s eclectic artwork with vivid colors and bristling collages while depicting the sisters’ love with soft hues. However, the focus, perhaps by necessity, is on the author’s relationship with and feelings about her sister, throwing Judy Scott’s isolated upbringing into sharp relief and rendering her story as disquieting as it is triumphant. The Scott sisters present White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet yet troubling account of sisterhood and the power of art. (timeline, photos, author's note, illustrator's note, sources, resources) (Picture book/biography. 4-6)
