It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way - Hardcover

Maclear, Kyo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062447629 ISBN 13: 9780062447623

Publisher: HarperColl, 2019

Synopsis

From the time she was a little girl, Gyo Fujikawa drew pictures.

Gyo's parents had come to California from Japan looking for a better life, but sometimes Gyo felt invisible. When high school came, Gyo's teachers recognized her gift for creating beautiful art and got behind her. Art became her profession, and now her drawings were in magazines and store window displays.

Eventually, Gyo was asked to illustrate picture books for children. She envisioned a diverse cast of characters, explaining that she wanted "an international set of babies, little black babies, Asian babies, all kinds of babies" in the pages of her books.

Had it ever been done before?

Not yet.

Her Babies, published in 1963, welcomed children of all colors into the pages of a picture book for the first time, paving the way for publishers, teachers, readers, and future writers to imagine a more inclusive world.

From the beloved team of Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad comes a story that poignantly portrays the life of Gyo Fujikawa, a groundbreaking hero in the fight for racial diversity in picture books.

About this title

Review:

“Often mimicking Fujikawa’s style, Morstad layers engaging details and deep emotional resonance onto Maclear’s spare, poetic text...A splendid picture-book celebration of an artist and activist.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“Spare, elegant spreads and graceful prose...Maclear and Morstad’s biography conveys with quiet power how recently segregation reached into every aspect of American life, and how one woman did her part to defeat it.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Many illustrations recall the elegance and simplicity of Fujikawa’s own work... This exemplary biography of a pioneer in multicultural children’s books deserves a place in most collections.” (School Library Journal (starred review))

“Written and illustrated with clean, spare lines, the book reveals emotions in an understated manner...This beautiful biography offers a fitting tribute to an artist with a lasting legacy in American picture books.” (Booklist (starred review))

“It Began with a Page... tells [Gyo Fujikawa’s] story beautifully, in picture-book form.” (The New Yorker)

“A breathtakingly beautiful tribute to a woman who deserves much wider recognition. Morstad is the perfect interpreter for both Fujikawa’s life and art–both share a profound sensitivity to the inner lives of children. It Began with a Page is playful, bold and, much like its subject, full of grace.” (Jillian Tamaki, Caldecott Honor winner for This One Summer)

“Julie Morstad has so effortlessly captured the essence of Gyo Fujikawa’s art with a fresh and contemporary twist.” (Salina Yoon, creator of the Penguin picture book series)

About the Author:

Kyo Maclear is the author of many books for children, including Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, and some for adults. When she was a little girl, she wanted very badly to be a fashion designer. She spent countless hours drawing odd dresses, including a very special cloud dress. Her style muses include her mother, Patti Smith, the residents of Moominvalley, and anyone with a sense of casual and androgynous flair. Though she loved writing about Schiaparelli's signature color, shocking pink, Kyo's own favorite color is blue. She plants her garden with flowers in all shades of blue, and in spring when they bloom, it's a blue extravaganza. Kyo makes her home in Toronto, where she lives with her two sons and husband, a musician. You can find her at www.kyomaclearkids.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0062447629
• ISBN 13: 9780062447623
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Morstad Julie