Module 11 - A Splash of Red

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin

by Jen Bryant

Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

ISBN 978-0-375-86712-5

Summary:
Horace Pippin always liked drawing.  He drew on scraps of paper with pieces of charcoal.  He drew on his spelling tests.  It made others happy to see what he could draw, so Horace drew.  During World War I Horace was injured and unable to use his right hand.  He struggled for years with what to do.  Then, one night, he props up his right hand with his left hand and teacher himself to draw again. Eventually his artwork is recognized and placed in museums.  And Horace continues to paint the pictures in his mind.

My Impressions:
There is so much to this book that it begs to be read more than once.  The story itself is interesting and well-written and the illustrations deserve a Caldecott Medal.  The historical notes at the end of the story drew me in further and made me want to research this fascinating American artist.  I was disappointed to find out that none of his paintings are close by (in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex) and will certainly seek out his artwork the next time I am in New York or Houston.  This book is also a great example of a man who rose above difficulty and struggles in his life to finally do what he always dreamed of doing: painting for a living.

Professional Reviews:
Born in 1888, grandson of a slave, Pippin loved to draw from an early age. He painted “…every day scenes in natural colors; then he added a splash of red.” His classmates often begged, “Make a picture for us, Horace!” When he was in the eighth grade, he quit school and went to work. From rail yard to farm to hotel to factory, his workmates echoed the request, “Make a picture for us….” And when he enlisted in World War I, his fellow soldiers also entreated him to draw. “The war brought out all the art in me.” But a bullet to the shoulder rendered his right arm useless and he was unable to find work due to his injury. Still, his drive to draw remained. One day, “using his good arm to move the hurt one, he scorched lines into the wood” to create a picture. With practice, his weak arm improved enough to allow him to paint, and paint he did. N.C. Wyeth recognized his talent and arranged for him to have a one-man exhibit. Today his work hangs in museums all over the country. Bryant’s meticulously researched, eloquent text makes this a winning read-aloud, while Sweet’s vibrant, folksy illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, portray the joys and hardships of the man’s life, using his trademark palette…with just a splash of red. Quotations from his notebooks, letters, and interviews are effectively woven into the pictures.
Auerbach, B.  (2013, January 1).  

Book Review Preschool to Grade 4: January 2013, SLJ, http://www.slj.com/2013/01/reviews/preschool-to-grade-4/book-review-preschool-to-grade-4-january-2013/

Having Fun in the Library:
1.  Horace Pippin and George Washington share a birthdate.  I would have the students research and find out which famous people share their birthday.
2.  Show this YouTube video: 

Bryant, J.  (2013).  A splash of red: The life and art of Horace Pippin.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf.