Drawing On Walls: A Story Of Keith Haring
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Drawing On Walls: A Story Of Keith Haring
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PLEASE NOTE: Drawing on Walls is available for PREORDER and is currently being reprinted—this title (and any other books you include in the same order) will ship to you as soon as we get the book, by mid-September 2024!
★ A 2021 Rainbow Book List selection
★ A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids of 2020
★ A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2020
★ A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Biography of 2020
★ A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Pick of 2020
★ A 2021 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children
★ 2020 Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Gold Award
★ A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List selection
Written by Matthew Burgess
Illustrated by Josh Cochran
Truly devoted to the idea of public art, Haring drew wherever he went: from the Berlin Wall to the unused advertising space in New York’s subway. Haring’s iconic pop art and graffiti-like style transformed the New York City underground art scene in the 1980s. A member of the LGBTQ community, Haring died tragically at the age of thirty-one from AIDS-related complications. This inspiring, celebratory book honors Haring’s life and art, along with his very special connection with kids. “I would love to be a teacher because I love children and I think that not enough people respect children or understand how important they are.” —Keith Haring.
Thoughtfully written by Matthew Burgess, the much-acclaimed author of Enormous Smallness, and marking the debut picture book of illustrator Josh Cochran- himself a specialist in bright, dense, conceptual drawings- this book is truly a joyful veneration of the transformative power of art.
ISBN: 978-1-59270-267-1
9.5” (W) x 12.5” (H) • 64 pages • HC • Ages 4-8
★ "Cochran uses a thick black line to suggest Haring’s creations, and renders figures in a Haring-esque style without seeming gimmicky…the story, including a respectful acknowledgement of Haring’s death from AIDS, makes the subject seem immediate and real—and presents a compelling vision of answering the call to create." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
★ “This big, beautiful biography of Keith Haring includes illustrations that effectively capture the sense of movement and fluidity of Haring’s work… A bright literary work packed with well-researched and well-written biographical notes on Haring’s short life and the impact he made on the art world and public art. An ideal choice for primary school through high school libraries, especially ones geographically represented in the story (New York, Pennsylvania).” — STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal, Samantha Hull, Ephrata H.S., PA
“Drawing on Walls is a tender and beautifully written biography of Haring’s short life. Matthew Burgess, the book’s talented writer, set out to tell Haring’s tale without embellishment, sugarcoating or regret. The result is a joyful celebration of Haring’s world.” —Frank Viva, The New York Times
"Often featuring a bold black line, Cochran’s painterly illustrations drive the narrative—bursting with movement and color—utilizing a wide variety of perspectives and both spot and full-bleed illustrations to dance around the text in a suitably neo-expressionist tribute to the subject. Without erasing or dwelling on any particular aspect of Haring’s personal life, author Burgess outlines Haring’s relationships with art, with children, and with his partner, Juan DuBose, in straightforward, accessible language—from his childhood in Pennsylvania to his “final mark” in Pisa, Italy (five months before his death)—with the same bold honesty and vibrance visible in his subject’s art career…an inspired, and inspiring, continuation of Haring’s intention. " —Kirkus Reviews
“Drawing On Walls: A Story of Keith Haring is gorgeous and deeply inspiring…this large padded hardcover book is beautifully constructed and illustrated with a thoughtfully told story.”—Inclusive Storytime
“Like other bios of artists written for children, Burgess and Cochran’s consideration of Keith Haring could easily have explained with hoity-toity words why all good little children should know the man’s work. Instead they tell you the facts, and in doing so show you why the man deserves to be remembered. Never taking its eye off of what matters (that kids should find picture book bios interesting and not just something their parent/guardian/teacher/librarian makes them listen to) Drawing On Walls justifies its very existence by justifying the very existence of its subject. And my inner child critic is appeased.”—Betsy Bird, Fuse 8
“Bright and bold as Keith Haring’s art, this book follows the artist’s ever-energetic creative drive. Author Burgess and illustrator Cochran show how generous a person he was, and how children played a central part in his life and work.”—The Washington Post