An exquisite work that imagines a moment from the boyhood of St. Francis of Assisi. The publication of Maureen Hyde's paintings here amounts to a cause célèbré. While she has illustrated many beautiful books in decades past (including Gingerbread House's three launch titles, Grandpa Loved, Grandma's Scrapbook, and Shh! The Whale Is Smiling), and many picture books and young adult novel covers for Simon & Schuster, Viking, Green Tiger Press, and Atheneum, this marks the artist's first book in twenty-five years. Her work in this volume derives power from years of studying in the USA and abroad, and from her efforts--first as a student and then a teacher--at The Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Even though Maureen employs the materials and techniques of the Old Masters, and draws inspiration from their ethic, one finds no hint of derivation in her compositions. Ms. Hyde's work has been exhibited in significant shows around the world, and is represented in many important private collections. The paintings for this volume have been acquired by a revered school in Switzerland.
Review Quotes:
"A beautiful marriage of author, illustrator, and subject is celebrated in this story...This exquisite book will make peaceful family reading." -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"An imagined tale of Francis of Assisi as a boy doing good foreshadows later saintly activities." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The simple narrative is well served by Hyde's paintings...and the pictures are indeed compelling. A nicely done addition to collections that emphasize Catholic saints." -- School Library Journal
Josephine Nobisso is an award-winning author of more than 100 books, including T ake It to the Queen, Show; Don't Tell!, and The Weight of a Mass. Her titles have earned her Learning Magazine's Teacher's Choice Award and a citation in Parent Magazine for Best Books of the Year, among dozens of other awards. She lives in Italy and Portugal.
Maureen Hyde is an artist and a professor at The Florence Academy of Art in Italy.
Target Age: 5-7
Gingerbread House
Pub Date: November 01, 2011
0.4" H x 11.8" L x 8.3" W
32 pages
paperback