Bottle Houses: The Creative World of Grandma Prisbrey - Hardcover

Slaymaker, Melissa Eskridge

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805071318 ISBN 13: 9780805071313

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2004

Synopsis

Being inside one of Grandma Prisbrey's houses was like being inside a rainbow or a kaleidoscope or a jewel.

A vibrant portrait of American visionary artist Grandma Prisbrey

The walls of Grandma Prisbrey's houses glowed and glittered with color because she made them out of bottles. Large and small, fancy and plain, Grandma Prisbrey salvaged every bottle she could find.
Soon people started calling Grandma Prisbrey an artist. "I can't even draw a car that looks like one," she said. "But I guess there are different kinds of art." Lush and lyrical, this is an evocative introduction to the world of visionary, or untrained, art.

About this title

About the Author:

Melissa Eskridge Slaymaker was inspired to write this book by a visit to Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village in California. Ms. Slaymaker lives with her husband and daughter in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is her first book for children.

Julie Paschkis visited Bottle Village before starting this book. A painter and illustrator of several highly acclaimed books, she lives and works in Seattle, Washington.

Visit Melissa Eskridge Slaymaker and Julie Paschkis at their websites:
http://www.meslaymaker.com and http://www.juliepaschkis.com

For more information on The Bottle Village visit theIR Web site at: http://echomatic.home.mindspring.com/bv

Review:

"Bright and riotous"--Booklist

"The title character's Bottle Village is a real place, and this spirited biography-Slaymaker's debut-describes its creation and its resourceful creator. . . . Taking a cue from the woman's kaleidoscopic architecture, Paschkis renders Grandma Prisbrey's village in a series of multi-textured patchwork planes studded with gem-like reds, greens and blues. . . . Young readers who, like Grandma Prisbrey, 'can't draw a car that looks like one,' will be cheered by her off-handed reaction to her reputation as an artist: "I guess there are different kinds of art."--Publishers Weekly , starred review

"This is an inherently fascinating subject, and Slaymaker's text deftly compacts the high points of Prisbrey's story into an accessible narrative peppered with quietly illuminating quotes from Prisbrey herself."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Slaymaker presents free spirit Prisbrey with an appropriate combination of whimsy and respect, and Paschkis's bright watercolors display clean, shiny bottles that readers will long to reach out and touch."--Horn Book

"The idea of making something beautiful and unique from what others see as worthless has innate child appeal. The lovely book introduces youngster to an artist and type of art that may be completely unknown to them."--School Library Journal

"Here, [Tressa Prisbrey] and her work get appreciative profiles from Paschkis, who portrays a spry elder in casual clothes and quirky bonnets surrounded by glorious, color-coordinated displays that glow like geometric gems, and Slaymaker's plain spoken insights."--Kirkus Reviews

"[A] delightful picture-book biography. . . .Kids will enjoy this story about this eccentric woman who saw the beauty in bottles and found a unique way to put them on permanent
cf0display. The colorful, vibrant illustrations are delightful."--Buffalo News

"Julie Paschkis' folk art-inspired gouaches impart a sense of vitality and are vibrant with jewel tones-a fitting tribute to Prisbrey's style."--Ruminator Review

"Every page is an explosion of color and whimsy, as Paschkis has a wild go at painting Prisbrey's fantastical creations. Together, the highly readable text and vivid illustrations make a fitting tribute to Prisbrey's artistic vision and deering-do."--San Diego Union-Tribune

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0805071318
• ISBN 13: 9780805071313
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Paschkis Julie