The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life by Lois Ehlert (review)

Noted illustrator Ehlert offers a casually organized look at her artistic process, with very brief explanations of how she got started making art and books and how she gets ideas for her art and books, along with some quick looks at the materials and basic steps she goes through in constructing a picture or a book. Kids (or adults) looking for specific instructions for making similar art or straightforward biographical info will not find it here, but those who enjoy getting a glimpse into the creative lives of artists and writers will appreciate the insider’s perspective Ehlert provides. Illustrations from some of Ehlert’s previous books are interspersed with new collages, sketches of ideas and book layouts, and photographs of Ehlert as a child and adult, of her studio, of objects that have inspired her work, and of her various collections of artistic and natural items. The narration is somewhat meandering; the compositions, while eye-catching and vibrant, are crammed into a small trim size, and some of the pictures would have benefited from further explanation. The simple text, though, could easily either be read aloud to a group (although some of the smaller illustrative details may not translate well to a crowd) or read alone by upper primary or middle graders. This could also be a pleasant and accessible addition to a unit on artists or writers for the same age group.