Breaking Waves: Winslow Homer Paints the Sea

Interspersing Homer's actual words with imagined daily activities, Burleigh's text brings readers into the artist's sensibility and creative process. . . . Quite authentically Homer.

It takes a special talent to convey the essence of an artist to children in an understandable way. Burleigh does so expertly, highlighting Winslow Homer's fascination and love for the ocean and its waves, by pulling out and repeating words of action--splash, shimmer, calm, roar--to convey the emotion of Homer's seascapes as he captures with paint the beauty of the Maine coast where his family vacationed.

"How can paint and canvas ever tell the true story of the vast and ever-changing ocean? Winslow doesn't know the answer, but he feels the puzzle patiently waiting deep within him." Burleigh lyrically cycles through the seasons and the sea's changing moods as perceived by the artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), punctuated by direct quotes from the artist, presented in italics. Throughout, Burleigh focuses on Homer's creative process, repeating the imperative "Look!"-- a clue to Homer's faith in acute and careful observation, and a cue to the reader to engage with Minor's watercolor and gouache illustrations. Minor's realistic depictions of Homer's spare and tidy domestic world and prim suiting situate the story in time, while the looser, more expressive evocations of the untamed Maine coastline evoke place. The closing section, dotted with exclamations and painting reproductions, fills in biographical details. A solid introduction to a major American artist. Ages 4-8. (June)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-6--This stunning work of literary nonfiction follows a year in the life and process of American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910). The pacing of this book centers on the four seasons, beginning with winter, and describes how the sea and Homer shift and change through the year. Homer paints and paints, trying to capture the essence and movement of the sea, often coming close, but persevering nonetheless. Each season begins with a bold, poetic stanza which introduces the ideas and feelings the next section will evoke. The watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful and capture the different feelings the sea can conjure. The images are at times calm and peaceful and at times thrilling and dangerous. These illustrations are reason enough to add this book to collections but, in addition to the gorgeous visuals, this work is rich with sensory language. These details both enhance the experience of reading the book and can be applied and analyzed in language arts instruction of sensory language. Back matter includes photographs of Homer and his work as well as maps and more traditional biographical information. VERDICT A beautiful and rich work of literary nonfiction.--Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"With quiet intensity, the book's words and pictures set Homer's work and self-sufficient style of living within the frame of this fascination. Children ages 4-8 may almost feel that they have joined in the artist's creative process. . . ."—Wall Street Journal

★ "The watercolor and pencil illustrations are beautiful and capture the different feelings the sea can conjure. The images are at times calm and peaceful and at times thrilling and dangerous. These illustrations are reason enough to add this book to collections but, in addition to the gorgeous visuals, this work is rich with sensory language. . . . A beautiful and rich work of literary nonfiction."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"A solid introduction to a major American artist."—Publishers Weekly

"Burleigh portrays a disciplined, patient Homer over the course of five seasons, relentlessly observing storms from perilous vantage points, making notes and sketches to aid memory, and refusing to still his brush after completing fine paintings that didn't quite rise to his own expectations. Careful viewers will note the shift between Minor's watercolor styles: smooth and reportorial when tracking Homer's quotidian activities away from his easel, and increasingly loose and atmospheric when addressing Homer's intense seaside observations and efforts at perfecting his craft."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books