Book Wisdom Review, February 16, PICASSO, I THE KING, YO EL REY

PICASSO, I THE KING by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

It takes spunk, finesse, creativity, intelligence and an “I can do” attitude when it comes to writing biographies for youth, especially in the young adult category.  Biographies have to honestly capture the historical figure in a manner that engages the reader, balances the light and shadow aspects of another human being while delivering essential information.  Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, an award-winning author elevates biography writing to a very high standard.  Her recent biography, PICASSO, I THE KING, YO EL REY illustrated by Caldecott –winning illustrator David Diaz is published by Amazon Children’s Books.  Through free verse poems based on the roller coaster life of Pablo Picasso, Carmen places her young adult readers in the first car of the coaster guiding them through Picasso’s life of drama.  Twists and turns, ups and downs, highs and lows are shared with honesty and integrity. David Diaz's illustration of the poems and Picasso’s life are simply beautiful and capture Pablo’s life  through his use of color and line.  What a creative way to do biography.  PICASSO, I THE KING is a 64 page, deeply researched biography that is written beautifully and has a substantial section of back matter.   The only problem I see with this book is that it was not available to me when I taught high school art and art history. 

I give this book four apples, a great read.  This biography for young adults engages the reader through poetry and imagery.  It would make a great addition to a library and teaching about art that supports young adults.

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

The themes in this book are biography, 20th Century Art History, Picasso, and how life creates and impacts art.  It is a book designed for mature young adults.  It is question and thought provoking supporting higher level thinking skills of young adults.

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand has many other successful biographies and if you would like to find out more about Carmen and her award winning work, you can check out her website at: CARMEN'S WEBSITE  This book is available by ordering at your local independent book seller and Amazon Children's Books.