Art / Art History

Zodiac : a graphic memoir book cover

Zodiac : a graphic memoir

Weiwei Ai

BIOGRAPHY Ai, Weiwei
Art / Art History, Memoir

"As a child living in exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai Weiwei often found himself with nothing to read but government-approved comic books. Although they were restricted by the confines of political propaganda, Ai Weiwei was struck by the artists' ability to express their thoughts on art and humanity through graphic storytelling. Now, decades later, Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present Zodiac, Ai Weiwei's first graphic memoir. Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics, Ai Weiwei masterfully interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family, and career. The narrative shifts back and forth through the years--at once in the past, present, and future--mirroring memory and our relationship to time. As readers delve deeper into the beautifully illustrated pages of Zodiac, they will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art, but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself through art and freedom of expression."--Amazon.

Victoria's picture

I love AI Weiwei's work and have read every book by him and written about him. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic memoir cleverly intertwined with Chinese zodiac animals and folklore and the illustrations are gorgeous! It is always a pleasure to get a little more insight into the life of such an artistic icon! -Victoria

This book will make you an artist book cover

This book will make you an artist

Ruth Millington

j701 Millington
Art / Art History, Kids, Nonfiction

"Jam-packed with imaginative ideas for all kinds of creative crafts . . . this book will make YOU an artist! Pick up your pencils, collect your collage materials, and take inspiration from 25 of the world's best-known artists in this fact-filled book full of activities. Discover famous masterpieces through the included photographs of real works of art - from ancient cave painting to contemporary performance - and lots more in between!"-- Provided by publisher.

Anne W's picture

A brief bio/intro to a couple dozen diverse artists and instructions for making a project of your own in their style. The projects are simple but significant, the artist bios are relevant and interesting, and the whole thing is attractively, colorfully designed and packaged. A great gift book for an artist child (and all children are artists)! -Anne W

Ungrateful mammals book cover

Ungrateful mammals

Dave Eggers

741.973 /Eggers
Humor, Animals, Philosophy, Art / Art History

Before he embarked on his writing career, Dave Eggers was classically trained as a draftsman and painter. He then spent many years as a professional illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing full-time. More recently, in order to raise money for ScholarMatch, his college-access nonprofit, he returned to visual art, and the results have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country. Usually involving the pairing of an animal with humorous or Biblical text, the results are wry, oddly anthropomorphic tableaus that create a very entertaining and eccentric body of work from one of today's leading culture makers.

Annie's picture

A fun, amusing, and quick read! I didn't know Dave Eggers was an illustrator and graphic designer before turning to writing — it's inspiring to know that all art can fuel other forms of art. Give this flip through before seeing him in conversation at the Englert on Thursday, March 7! -Annie

A tulip in winter : a story about folk artist Maud Lewis book cover

A tulip in winter : a story about folk artist Maud Lewis

Kathy Stinson

j759.11 Lewis
Art / Art History, Kids, Biographies

"A celebration of a beloved folk artist, and her artistic expression of joy and beauty. Known for her vibrant and cheerful paintings of landscapes, plants, and animals, Maud Lewis' iconic folk art is celebrated around the world. Despite her beautiful art, she spent much of her life living in poverty with rheumatoid arthritis. In this stunning picture book, author Kathy Stinson and illustrator Lauren Soloy bring Maud's world to life: how she captured in her art what she loved most, while navigating the mobility issues caused by her condition. From bright paintings of the sea and countryside, to the flowers and birds she painted on the walls of the small house she shared with her husband, Maud's work continues to delight and inspire viewers young and old."--

Anne W's picture

Maud Lewis' lively, colorful paintings were inspired by the countryside around her tiny house in Nova Scotia. Disabled by severe rheumatoid arthritis, and with options further limited by poverty, Lewis lived in a tiny house she decorated by painting flowers all over the stairs, walls, and many of her belongings, along with creating landscapes on scraps of wood and cardboard from the dump. Today, her house can be seen, in its entirety, inside the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, where it was moved after her death in 1970. -Anne W

Mesozoic art : dinosaurs and other ancient animals in art book cover

Mesozoic art : dinosaurs and other ancient animals in art

567.9 /Mesozoic
Art / Art History, Science

"Dinosaurs are endlessly fascinating to people of every age, from the youngest child who enjoys learning the tongue-twisting names to adults who grew up with Jurassic Park and Walking with Dinosaurs. As our knowledge of the prehistoric world continues to evolve and grow, so has the discipline of bringing these ancient worlds to life artistically. Paleoart puts flesh on the bones of long-extinct organisms, and illustrates they world they lived in. Mesozoic Art showcases twenty of the best artists working in this field, representing a broad spectrum of disciplines, from traditional painting to cutting-edge digital technology. Some provide the artwork for new scientific papers that demand high-end paleoart as part of their presentation to the world at large; they also work for the likes of National Geographic and provide art to museums around the world to illustrate their displays. Other artists are the new rising stars of paleoart in an ever-growing, ever-diversifying field." -- Amazon.com.

Mykle's picture

This book is full of really cool art depicting the ancient world. Also, you can leave it on your coffee table to spark a dinosaur chat with your friends. -Mykle

Mega guide to drawing manga book cover

Mega guide to drawing manga

Samantha Gorel

741.50952 /Gorel
Art / Art History, Crafts

The essential guide to drawing manga figures. Ideal for seasoned comic artists or complete beginners, this fantastic book is packed with clear instructions and inspiration for drawing manga figures. It begins with the basics and contains galleries of body parts, expressions and hair styles to inspire and encourage the reader, along with step-by-step guides to mastering fundamentals such as anatomy and hands and feet. A range of profiles, characters, genders and ages is included. Build up skill through drawing and inking and then experiment using different colouring media - including markers, watercolour acrylics and pencils - to achieve outstanding results.

Mykle's picture

I love drawing. I love manga. Now I can draw manga. Check out this book and so can you! -Mykle

Seen and unseen : what Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams' photographs reveal about the Japanese American incarceration book cover

Seen and unseen : what Toyo Miyatake, Dorothea Lange, and Ansel Adams' photographs reveal about the Japanese American incarceration

Elizabeth Partridge

j940.547273 Partridge
Nonfiction, Literary Nonfiction, Picture Books, History, Art / Art History

"Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle-grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration and the complexity of documenting it through the work of these three photographers"--

Casey's picture

Seen and Unseen is a must-read. An incredible marriage of photography, literary nonfiction, scrapbooking, illustration, survivor stories, and US History, Partridge and Tamaki use various media to bring Japanese American incarceration to light. This is suggested reading for all families, middle-graders, young adults, and adults, especially those interested in or affected by WWII. Seen and Unseen would be a great gift as well! -Casey

Cute chibi animals : learn how to draw 75 cuddly creatures book cover

Cute chibi animals : learn how to draw 75 cuddly creatures

Im, Phoebe, author.

j743.6 Im
Nonfiction, Art / Art History, Animals

"Chibi is Japanese slang for "short," and the characters in Cute Chibi Animals live up to this description, with their cute, roly-poly bodies that make them extremely lovable and huggable. Phoebe Im, the popular Instagram artist behind Bobblejot, shows you how to master this anime and manga drawing style with 75 step-by-step tutorials of your favorite animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and more."

Casey's picture

I love both of the chibi drawing books from Phoebe Im. This series is certain to be a hit with anyone of any age who likes to draw cute animals. -Casey

The occult, witchcraft & magic : an illustrated history book cover

The occult, witchcraft & magic : an illustrated history

Christopher Dell

133.4 /Dell
Nonfiction, History, Art / Art History, Nature

From the earliest Paleolithic cave rituals, magic has gripped the imagination. Magic and magicians appear in early Babylonian texts, the Bible, Judaism and Islam. Secret words, spells and incantations lie at the heart of every mythological tradition. Today, magic means many things: contemporary Wicca is practised widely as a modern pagan religion in Europe and the US; 'magic' also evokes the cathartic rituals of Chaos magic, but stretches to include the non-spiritual, rapid-fire sleight of hand performed by slick stage magicians who fill vast arenas. The book is packed with authoritative text and a huge and inspired selection of images, chosen from unusual and hidden sources. The material is presented in 100 entries, and includes some of the best-known representations of magic and the occult from around the world.

Melody's picture

This book was so popular when it came out that we had to stock multiple copies. This is a book for you if you love history, art, and illustrations. It doesn't have to be Halloween for me to love leafing through this book! -Melody

The Office bffs : tales of the Office from two best friends who were there book cover

The Office bffs : tales of the Office from two best friends who were there

Jenna Fischer


Memoir, Art / Art History

"An intimate, behind-the-scenes, richly illustrated celebration of beloved The Office co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey's friendship, and an insiders' view of Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, and the iconic TV show. Featuring many of their never-before-seen photos"--

Amanda's picture

An absolute must-read for fans of The Office! You cannot contain the joy these two have for their show and their co-workers and crew. So much fun trivia and behind-the-scenes stories to make you want to binge watch it again! -Amanda