Henri Rousseau: A Jungle Expedition

Offers a look at the French artist's life and the sources of inspiration for his paintings

Grade 3-6?In these two volumes in a new art series, the works of Chagall and Rousseau are presented in an unorthodox format, with somewhat mixed results. Both books provide insight into the individuals' lives and sources of inspiration. In Chagall, the undulating, multicolored text complements the artist's floating figures and dynamic shapes seen in facing full-page reproductions. Hopler asks readers questions about what Chagall might have been thinking when he composed these works and points out aspects of his life that clearly relate to the painting on that page. The text in Rousseau is more disjointed and less interesting and is set against dark, distracting, blown-up details from the the artist's paintings. The information on Rousseau is made even more confusing by the inclusion of a dream sequence in which the artist envisions himself lost in a jungle. Readers are told that the "Parisian moon smiled down on the happy customs official, because it knew that these pictures would one day make Henri Rousseau very famous...." In both volumes, the quality of the reproductions is very good. However, all of the details about the size, date, and location of the actual paintings is printed on the back cover rather than on a separate page. Libraries needing books on specific artists will want to consider Chagall as an additional purchase, but might want to pass on Rousseau.?Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Lush, beautiful reproductions introduce Rousseau's art work to a young audience, but the text, combining fact and fiction, may confuse those expecting a biography. The first half of this book follows Rousseau's life; the second half links his jungle paintings together in a narrative as if they were all inspired by one dream. Although it may be true in an abstract sense, it may not be fair to explain away Rousseau's art with the clich of a dream. Plazy's A Weekend with Rousseau (1992) offers a more stable forage into the jungles. (Nonfiction. 8-11) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.