Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood - Hardcover

Campoy, F. Isabel; Howell, Theresa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0544357698 ISBN 13: 9780544357693

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2016

Synopsis

In this exuberant picture book about transformation through art, Mira lives in a gray urban community until a muralist arrives and, along with his paints and brushes, brings color, joy, and hope to the neighborhood.

What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine!

Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation—and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

"Simply superb.” (Kirkus)

Tomás Rivera Book Award * ALA Notable Children's Book * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year * Huffington Post Best Picture Books of the Year * Kirkus Best of the Year * School Library Journal Top 10 LatinX of the Year

About this title

About the Authors

F. Isabel Campoy is the author, translator, or anthologist of numerous books in the areas of poetry, theater, fictional narrative, biography, art, and bilingual education. She has been recognized with the Laureate Award from the San Francisco Public Library, the Reading the World Award, and many others. The California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) has created an award in her name. She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on issues of transformative education, second language acquisition, and authentic writing. She lives in Northern California. Visit her at isabelcampoy.com and on Twitter at @fisabelcampoy.

Theresa Howell began her career in publishing as a children’s book editor at Rising Moon, where she helped to establish the bilingual imprint Luna Rising. She is the author of several children’s books with an artistic and cultural focus.

Rafael López is a New York Times–bestselling, award winning illustrator who has illustrated numerous acclaimed picture books, including The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly (New York Times bestsellers), Dancing Hands (Pura Belpré Medal), and Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You (Schneider Award), among others. Rafael is the recipient of three Pura Belpré medals, the Schneider Family Book Award, the Jane Addams Book Award, and the Tomás Rivera Book Award. He was the first guest artist of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum and founder of the Urban Art Trail, a series of large-scale community murals around the U.S. Rafael lives in San Diego and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. You can visit him at rafaellopez.com.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—In a town that is dismal and austere, Mira offers her neighbor her joy—art. After Mira hands out some of her paintings, a muralist takes notice of her work. Eventually Mira, the muralist, and the diverse community come together to make their town a beautiful work of art. López's illustrations dominate the landscape of the book and depict the characters' movements in a painterly style. Warm colors portray the community's efforts to brighten their neighborhood and contrast with the more muted tones used to depict the desolate cityscape. The illustrations are rendered with acrylic paints on wood, along with digital tools to layer photos and other objects to create Mira's neighborhood. The prose feels somewhat distant from the charming artwork and themes. The narrative was inspired by an actual event, as noted in the back matter, but the text does not fully transmit the heartwarming story of the powerful influence of art. VERDICT An additional purchase, especially where the artist's work is popular.—Briana Moore, School Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0544357698
• ISBN 13: 9780544357693
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: López Rafael
• Number of pages: 40