I Am Marc Chagall (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)

The life of modern artist Marc Chagall is celebrated in this highly original picture book, based loosely on the artist’s own autobiography.

Loosely based on Marc Chagall's autobiography, Bimba Landmann’s first-person story offers readers a personal glimpse into the early life of one of the 20th century's most significant modern painters – from childhood, when he would daydream during prayers, to school, where he was distracted, and at home where he worried about his future – all to the ultimate realization of his artistic talent.

I painted my world, my life, all the things I loved, all the things I dreamed of, all the things I could not say in words. I painted my beloved Russia, my hometown Vitebsk, the Jewish neighborhood where I grew up, the way I saw everything as a child.

Landmann uses charming three-dimensional mixed-media illustrations to celebrate the colorful, the whimsical, and the extraordinary aspects of Chagall's life and work, his unusual way of looking at the world into color and shape.

Bimba Landmann has illustrated over a dozen children'sbooks, including Clare and Francis, InSearch of the Little Prince, and I Am MarcChagall (all Eerdmans). Bimba was born in Milan, Italy,where she currently lives with her husband and son.