Beginning Readers - Non-Fiction

REVIEWERS: Marie Soriano

* denotes San Diego writer and/or illustrator
** Age levels, when provided by the publishers, are included in the bibliographical information. Otherwise, category placements are our best approximations.

• Kimmel, Eric A. A Picture for Marc. Illus. Matthew Trueman. New York: Random House, 2007. ISBN 978-0-375-83253-6. $11.99 U.S./ $15.99 CAN. Ages 7-12.
  
  

Kimmel, Eric A. A Picture for Marc. Illus. Matthew Trueman. New York: Random House, 2007. ISBN 978-0-375-83253-6. $11.99 U.S./ $15.99 CAN. Ages 7-12.

Don’t you ever wonder what artists were like when they were young? Did they always like painting or drawing or singing? How did they get started? Eric A. Kimmel’s A Picture for Marc tells the story of a very young Marc Chagall, the famous Russian painter (1887-1985).

Marc is the only son of a poor Russian-Jewish family. His parents are determined that their son get an education. Although Jews are not allowed in Russian schools, his mother bribes a teacher so Marc can learn science, math, history, geography, and Russian. But Marc is mostly bored with school, except geometry class where he likes to draw shapes. One day in class, when Marc sees his friend Victor tracing pictures in a magazine, Marc decides to try it, too. Then he gets an even better idea: drawing his own pictures. Victor encourages Marc to learn about being an artist from the local art teacher who has a shop in town: Yehuda Pen. Pen thinks Marc has potential and tells Marc to speak with his parents about lessons. But Marc does not get the response he hopes for. His parents think drawing and art are frivolous. To their way of thinking, Marc should be practical and concentrate on his studies so he can be financially successful. How will Marc ever convince them to let him follow his dream?

This short book “loosely based” on Marc Chagall’s childhood is incredibly moving. Kimmel captures the sadness and disappointment that children, as well as adults, feel when their creativity is not supported by those they love. Kimmel addresses the fact that we tend to think of art as a luxury rather than something that is essential for personal and spiritual fulfillment, and we have this myth of the starving artist, which is just that—a myth. In addition to addressing the importance of art in people’s lives, Kimmel does an awesome job of critiquing gender roles. Marc’s sisters want to go to school but cannot because girls are not allowed in school, Jewish or Russian, as was true during that time period. Instead of skirting around the issue, Kimmel gives Marc the opinion that this is terribly unfair.

The lively illustrations by Matthew Trueman give readers an idea what a small Russian town was like in the 1890s. Trueman also illustrates Marc and his family, Mr. Pen and his studio, and the pictures Marc draws which fit the adult Chagall’s style of painting perfectly. Trueman pays attention to detail, including finely drawn maps in a picture of Marc’s classroom and tiny script that looks very much like Hebrew or Russian in Marc’s open books and magazines.

A Picture for Marc is a great book for beginning readers (and for any other reader who’s interested in art!). It is a small book, only 101 pages long, including the Author’s Note. There is more text than illustrations, enough to have chapters, yet not so much as to be overwhelming.

Marie Soriano