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

by Jen Bryant, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

As a child in the late 1800s, Horace Pippin loved to draw: He loved the feel of the charcoal as it slid across the floor. He loved looking at something in the room and making it come alive again in front of him. He drew pictures for his sisters, his classmates, his co-workers. Even during WWI, Horace filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches . . . until he was shot. Upon his return home, Horace couldn't lift his right arm, and couldn't make any art. Slowly, with lots of practice, he regained use of his arm, until once again, he was able to paint--and paint, and paint! Soon, people—including the famous painter N. C. Wyeth—started noticing Horace's art, and before long, his paintings were displayed in galleries and museums across the country.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Art, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Biography Memoir

34 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 2013

About the author

Jen Bryant (Jennifer Fisher Bryant) writes picture books, novels and poems for readers of all ages. Her biographical picture book: A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet,received a Caldecott Honor award and her historical novel in verse RINGSIDE 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial is an Oprah Recommended Book for ages 12 & up. Other titles include Pieces of Georgia (IRA Young Adult Choices Pick), The Trial (about the 1935 Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial), a 1960’s-era novel Kaleidoscope Eyes (a Jr. Library Guild selection), Georgia’s Bones, celebrating the creative vision of artist Georgia O’Keeffe, Music for the End of Time, based on a true story about WWII, and Abe’s Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln.

Jen has taught writing and Children’s Literature at West Chester University and Bryn Mawr College and gives lectures, workshops and school presentations throughout the year. She lives with husband, daughter and their Springer Spaniel in Chester County, PA.

Reviews

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

review later

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

We enjoyed this beautifully illustrated book about the life of Horace Pippin! Sometimes when we finish reading a really good book, we head right over to Google to investigate further. We think Horace Pippin was a great artist! We admire his perseverance and courage. We think everyone should google Horace Pippin today and get to know the work of this truly great self-taught American painter! This book gets a unanimous five stars from The Eggers!

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

Exactly what the title says it is, A Splash of Red: the life and art of Horace Pippin was a charming addition to our group's focus on artists in January 2022. Providing his life story and experiences showed these young people how a person's life impacts later passions, expressions of that passion and how one spends the time they are allotted on this sweet little dirt ball careening through space.

Horace was arty from his childhood. He was self-taught and drew pictures for the people in his life. When WWI broke out, Horace joined up and found himself in the trenches, and when it was all over, he had a hand that had lost its ability to paint. . . so for the rest of his life, one hand helped the other do the actual painting.

With samples of his work, and the inspirational stories of his life, I'm glad we found a book about Horace to add to the great artists we've learned about this month. Grateful for the authors and illustrators who bring forward people, things, and experiences we might have missed in our patchwork educations.

[Cindy Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute nonfiction picture book over the life of artist Horace Pippin. I read this for one of my grad school classes, but can see it being a great book for a read-aloud at an elementary school.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin is a well-researched picturebook biography of an esteemed self-taught African-American painter:


Since I knew nothing about Horace Pippin or his art before, I appreciated Jen Bryant's informative narrative. However, her writing in A Splash of Red is not the most engaging.

Melissa Sweet's boldly colored mixed media illustrations, on the other hand, are as beautiful and original as ever:

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Jen Bryant and illustrator Melissa Sweet, who also collaborated on the picture-book biographies The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams , return to the form in this wonderful examination of the life of African-American artist Horace Pippin. Born on Washington's birthday - January 22nd - in 1888, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Pippin discovered his love for making pictures at an early age, winning an art contest when he was eight. Whatever else he was doing - and he had to work many different kinds of jobs, to help his family - he was always making art. Injured while serving in World War I - he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre and the Purple Heart - he returned home with a right arm that was almost useless. Slowly, through hard work and determination, he trained himself to use this arm again, continuing to make his paintings. Eventually, his work was discovered and promoted by such figures as painter N.C. Wyeth, and he went on to become a well-known painter...

I am so very glad that I picked up A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, as I had not previously heard of this artist, but will now seek out more of his work. His life story is certainly inspirational, as he battled all sorts of disadvantages and challenges - poverty, racial discrimination, the physical and psychological wounds of war - in order to go on making his art. I would certainly like to know more about him, and about his work. Jen Bryant's text here is simple but informative, and is paired with Sweet's appealing, mixed-media artwork, which incorporates quotations from Pippin himself. The back matter contains more information about Pippin, as well as notes from the author and illustrator, and lists of further reading ideas and other online resources. I was interested to see, from the notes, that Bryant and Sweet worked together on this, while doing their research, as this is quite atypical in contemporary American picture-book production, where the author and artist often times have no communication. This collaborative method certainly has produced a wonderful result here! Recommended to young art lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for stories about artists, about people overcoming challenges, or about veterans and their post-war experiences.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Primary
Genre: Non-Fiction/Informational
Book Talk...
Have you ever known a person who never gave up on his/her talents?
A Splash of Red is a story of one such person. Horace Pippin was destined for greatness. He was born on George Washington's birthday. He had an amazing talent for art and everyone in his family and neighborhood knew it. But, WW I began, and Horace does his part with grave consequences. A Splash of Red is an inspiration to us all as we search to find our way in this world with the talents we have been given. A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
NOTES: The colors are amazing. The illustrations will pull the reader into the story. I see this as a great way to tie in art and creativity. It is a non-fiction book based on the true life experience of Horace Pippin. Pippin is an impressionistic artist.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The End of the War" was a pivotal piece in Pippin's artistic development. It was also the first painting he completed after losing the use of his right arm due to a war injury.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin is a biographical text written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This book tells the true story of artist Horace Pippin, who was born in 1888. When Horace was little, he would spend his time drawing with charcoal and even won an art competition! When he was in 8th grade, Horace quit school, so he could work and make money for his family. But he still loved drawing. Once World War I began, Horace joined the army. One day, Horace got shot in his right arm and could no longer lift it properly. When people said, “Make a picture for us, Horace!” … he could not. When he returned from the war, he met and married Jennie Wade. Horace struggled finding a job due to his injured arm, but he never gave up and found ways to help around the neighborhood. He longed to draw. Once Horace realized that he could use his left hand to move his injured arm, he began to draw again. Then, he began to paint. Every once in a while, he would add ‘a splash of red.’ Would Horace be able to become a famous painter, despite his struggles?

At the end of the text, there is a ‘historical note’ that goes into detail on the life of Horace Pippin. It goes into detail on his time in the war, including how he won a Purple Heart, as well as information on where his art is now. There is even a map to illustrate this information! I listened to a Youtube video of this text that I enjoyed, however they skipped reading this historical note. I was able to pause the video to read it myself, but since it was a little blurry, I struggled to read all of it. Since I find these author’s notes important when reading nonfiction stories, I would recommend another digital format or reading the physical text.

I think that this text would be a great read aloud! It would inspire students, as Horace was able to persevere through his disability and find a way to do what he loved. He never gave up. There could also be a discussion on historical events, such as World War I. Throughout the story, there are also mentions of other parts of history. For example, they mention his grandmother’s time in slavery when describing her rough hands. This book could also be used as a mentor text for repeated imagery and phrases. Throughout the text, a common motif is Horace’s big hands. A phrase that is repeated is “Make a picture for us, Horace!” This book is recommended for children between the ages of 5 and 8 and was in the recommended section of Children’s Books in Children’s Hands in ‘the Arts’ section.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for reading aloud to k-2. Bryant tells the story of a young boy (and then man) whose obligations frequently got in the way of his art and yet he found time to be an artist AND those around him wanted to see his art. There's a repetitive phrase "Make a picture for us!" the ____ (classmates, sisters, workers, etc) said. And Horace did." The use of this repetitive phrase gets at the power of art for Horace and for other people in his world. Sweet's illustrations are invitingly complex, worthy of looking at closely to see how she incorporated her research on Pippin into her own art.

SUGGESTIONS FOR AN INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD -
1) Read aloud the book for the pure joy of learning about Horace Pippin.
2) Read aloud again, pausing at a few places to ask students higher-level thinking questions that delve into the type of person Horace Pippin was like
*What do these first two pages about WWI reveal about the what Horace was experiencing?
How do you think he felt? What makes you think so?
*How does the author reveal that Pippin was a hard worker before the war? After the war?
*How does he work hard to overcome his injury and draw again? What does this say about him?
3) Read aloud and focus on the author's use of language or Sweet's integration of Pippin's words. What did Pippin mean when he said, "The war brought out all the art in me"? Why do you think Bryant uses the repetitive phrase "Make a picture for us...and Horace did"? How do Pippin's "big hands" play an important part in this narrative?

Don't skip the author's and illustrator's notes at the end! Bryant and Sweet explain their research which is important to think about if readers are pondering the accuracy and authority of the text.

Robert Sibert Honor Book
Schneider Family Book Award

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Make a picture for us, Horace!" The refrain repeats in the book, providing a nice through line as Horace Pippin develops his art, and then needs to relearn how to do it after a war injury takes away the use of his arm.

Some of the wording can be a bit mature, not in a way to upset children, but possibly to bore them. Might be better for slightly older children.

[Mykl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to take a break from reading my personal books so I strolled over to Mr. Errico's bookshelf, with non-fiction books propped on top. After reading "A Splash of Red", I noticed a theme that many people can relate to, "anyone can do anything." Horace, a man who had been painting for as long as he could remember, was molded into a new person due to the war. Horace wanted to help the troops, so he joined them like many man would. However, when fighting he managed to get hit by a bullet in his right arm, the arm he used for painting. Although he could have quit his passion, he didn't. He held his right hand with his left while painting. He didn't give up nor did he heal but he did paint. Even though Horace was different and a new person on the outside, he was the same on the inside. He even managed to get his own TV show. I really enjoyed this book and I think if you're ever in a situation like Horace, don't give up because anyone can do anything.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous picture book about the life of Horace Pippin. Like many artists, he grew up loving to draw. He drew and painted pictures for friends. While fighting in World War I, his shoulder was wounded and he could no longer paint without the control and same movement of his right hand. After some time, Horace realized that he wanted to make art so badly that he'd try to work around his injury. By holding his injured hand, he made art and eventually his artwork became famous.

This was a very positive story showing how injury and obstacles can be overcome with determination.

I particularly enjoyed the map illustrations showing Horace traveling to France to fight in the war. The map and war pictures have a very different style from the rest of the book, which made it more interesting visually.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book bio about self-taught painter Horace Pippin. His life and the beginnings of his art are paralleled and his world is brought to life through Sweet's watercolor, gouache, and collage artwork. Both an author and illustrator's note follows the story and a further reading list, film reference, website list, and quotation sources are included.

Every inch of the book is jam-packed with information including the title page which includes a reproduction of one of Pippin's biblical paintings and the inside back cover which lays out on a hand-drawn map museums that house Pippin paintings. This duo does an amazing job of inciting interest in their subject and providing great starting sources for further exploration. The artwork is so rich and detailed that it invites rereadings and inspires the reader to view Pippin's work in person.

[Penny Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book biographies are always welcome but this one has something extra that makes it memorable, focusing on a person that will resonate after reading. Although the text is relatively brief, it contains quite a bit of information on African-American painter Horace Pippin, from his youth, to his service in WWI, to his later success as a painter. The clipped sentences are perfect for the subject matter, including his WWI injury and slow recovery: "One day, he climbed to the top of the trench. A shot rang out. Horace felt pain in his shoulder. He was hit!" The full color watercolor paintings (with collage elements) that illustrate the book also add to the package, evocative of Pippin's folk art style. An excellent choice for teachers, for Black History Month, and for budding artists.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful biography of a painting I'd never heard of. Horace Pippin was an African American WWI veteran from West Chester, PA (my wife's old home turf) who was discovered by NC Wyeth. The book is gorgeously illustrated and Jen Bryant's prose tells the story of Pippin's life and career concisely and interestingly.

There seems to be a growing number of books like this, biographies of artists told in a picture book format. Most of these do an excellent job of having form meet function; this one is especially fine.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is a biography of Horace Pippin, an artist that I was unfamiliar with, but also a bit of a 'coming of age' book too as Horace tries different occupations before and after the war before coming to the fact that he is, indeed, an artist. I enjoyed that the protagonist happens to be of African heritage, and have since noticed that this informed his work. I also enjoyed that Pippin was able to persevere over the wound that he got during the war that originally he thought would end his ability to create art.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to learn of the man and his work. What a moving set of quotations were used in the illustrations. And the fact that he shook hands with a white man and got his own show were awesome to learn about. Lots of enriching supplementary material including a photo of him and images of some of his most significant works on the last endpapers.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting book that was very creatively put put together. Great read.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book walks through the life of Horace Pippin. This book instantly pulls the reader in with the beautiful images and fun fonts. This book goes through the ups and downs of Horace Pippin's life and really paints an image in your mind of his life. It also shows you how Horace's struggles helped him become the painter that he is, and helped him come up with the ideas for his paintings.

The book begins with Horace being born and him quickly growing, he had hands way to big for him and soon put those hands to use. From a young age he would draw pictures on everything, he even won art supplies in a contest he won. But soon after Horace had to give up art to work, and eventually go to war where he was shot in the arm and could no longer draw. What Horace did after being shot is truly what is inspiring to all, to find out what happens next you will have to read the book for yourself!

In my classroom I could use this book to talk about different artists and the different types of art they create and why. I think in school we often overlook teaching art and I think it is really important to try and integrate art and artists into our reading because it shows students the beauty in art and shows them a different career path. I would also use this in my classroom as a way to show students to never give up on their dreams. Horace had a lot of struggles in his life but he never gave up on being an artist and he did not even complete his first oil painting until around 40 years old. This is a great way to show students that even though life may knock them down it is always important to get back up and continue to follow your dreams because you never know what might happen. Lastly, I could use this in my classroom when doing a wax museum or something along those lines and provide the book as a resource for students if they wanted to research an artist.

This was a WOW book for me because I have seen some of Horace Pippin's paintings before but I never knew his backstory and his story is an amazing one that is truly inspiring to hear. I also really love to paint so it is fascinating to see all of the things he accomplished with such little materials. I also really enjoyed the part of the book where Horace talked about how painting saved him because it brought him back from the dark place he was during war. This book is a great read and is amazing because it follows someones life story but is so fascinating and really makes his art feel that much more special.

This book is a biography/memoir/auto-biography, and I would use this in a 3rd or 4th grade classroom.

[Sean Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin recounts the life of Horace Pippin a war veteran turned artist. Horace had always loved painting and drawing as a child, creating pictures for friends and family members that requested that they draw for him. As Horace grew up, he took jobs that were unrelated to art until one day he enlisted in US army and is deployed to fight in World War I. While in battle, Horace is shot in the shoulder. His injury making it painful for him to paint and difficult for him to use his arm but through perseverance and determination, he begins painting again.

This was a WOW book for me because I loved the theme and the illustrations in it. Horace was a man that loved art and was willing to sacrifice his ability to create it for a cause that was greater than himself. When he returned from war unable to paint, it must have been heartbreaking to him. But instead of sitting around sulking, he found a way to continue doing what he loved. This theme of perseverance is one that I think many students can benefit from in the classroom. Doing a theme study with this book would be a good way to teach them that we don't just give up when things get hard.

Another aspect that I think I could use this book for in my classroom is for teaching text structure. The book is very simply organized in a chronological sequence. Students could use this as a mentor text when creating narrative writing pieces or to help them understand the structure of their independent reading selections.

Lastly, I also really liked the various quotes from Horace Pippin that were in the book such as "If a man knows nothing but hard times, he will paint them, for he must be true to himself."

I would use this book from middle to upper elementary grades.

I would like to use this book for my Biography selection.

[Leah Hargett · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin" By: Jen Bryant is a phenomenal read. "A Splash of Red" highlights Horace Pippins life in a way that captures the essence of his artwork. In this quick 15 minute read, we follow Horace from his birth, watching as he begins to spark an interest in art, through hard times, his wedding, to his art debut. The text allows you to empathize with Pippin while reading about the obstacles that arose in his life and art career. As a little girl I loved being able to do any type of arts and crafts, but painting was my favorite! As I read, I was infatuated with the beautiful illustrations that filled each page. It took me back to my childhood; a time where there could never be too many colors in artwork. I would use this book in my classroom to encourage my students to do what they love, even when opposition arises. Just as Horace Pippin showed us, you can do anything as long as you put your heart and soul into it the rest will follow. "A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin" won NCTE's Orbis Pictus award in 2014 for outstanding nonfiction for children. I would highly recommend reading this book not only to educate readers on Horace Pippin's life, but to inspire young minds to follow their dreams.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary
This book is about a boy names Horace that grew so fast. His grandma tells him the the biggest part of him was inside. Horace did lots of favors for lots of people. If he had time, he would draw with charcoal. He loved to draw his pets. Horace drew pictures for his class and they loved it. He was always drawing. Horace entered a contest for drawing and won an art supplies box! He later on joined the army and continued to draw even during battle. He was wounded in the war and the bullet badly damaged his right arm. He lost his ability to draw. He got married. He began to use his good arm to move the hurt one. Horace continued to draw pictures.

Evaluation
I like how this book gives great descriptive details. An example of descriptive words would be, "as big and as strong as ever, " or "somber colors of war", "splash of red".

Teaching Idea
I would use this book in a lesson on using descriptive details when writing a narrative. I would read this book first and then ask them to write a story of their own life using great descriptive details.

[Kaitlin Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. I have had a love for artists my entire life and love to view art. It gives me an insight into the mind of an artist and takes me to another world. I did not know much about Horace Pippen before reading this book but now I do. In the book he knew that he loved art and shared his talent with the people around him. He never expected to be a famous artist, especially after he was injured.

I would absolutely use this book in my classroom. The illustrations were very cute and visually appealing. It would be a great asset to a lesson or unit on the art or Horace Pippen himself. He overcame many challenges and grew so much through them. Perseverance is a quality that should be modeled and shared with all students.

[Morgen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This true story about Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant is an Orbis Pictus Award winner and a Robert Sibert honor book. Horace Pippin is a famous painter who faced many struggles. I think this book a great biography for children. In my opinion, it is hard to find unique biographies for children in picture book form. Throughout the book and in the back matter of the book you can see Horace's paintings. The title A Splash of Red is used because he puts little splashes of red color in most of his paintings. There is an author's and illustrator's note. There is also further reading, film, websites, and sources in the backmatter. There is also a Historical Note.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryant presents a fine look at a much-neglected artist. Caldecott winner, Melissa Sweet, does a great job capturing the spirit of Pippin's work in her wonderful illustrations.



This is one of the best artist biographies aimed at children that I've read.


Horace Pippin, Domino Players, 1943

[Meg Filiatreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I feel this book has a good moral and presents the story of Horace Pippin well. After I finished reading the story, I did some research on Horace and discovered a new appreciation for the artist and book. His life story is extremely motivating. The illustrations in the story kept my attention the entire book, more so than the words. Melissa Sweet's illustrations add so much to the story! I enjoy the quotes she presented within the pages and the way she depicts Horace's drawings within her own. Overall, this book is a solid read for a children's non-fiction book.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like picture book biographies. I like the concept of these being of artists. But it is tough. Do you show the art as photographs? as recreations? certainly not as cartoon knockoffs. I think this book did a good job of telling the artist's story and representing his art. I'm not sure I'm that much of a fan of the artist, though clearly I can tell that I appreciate some of his art from what I can find on the internet. But this was a good story worth telling.

[Karly Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Splash of Red is about an artist named Horace Pippin, and his journey through out his artistic career. This book has remarkable illustrations that bring you through Horace's' life story. This book can provide a teacher with many outstanding lessons on things such as, Black History Month, Creative Arts, Geography, war, etc. This book is aesthetically pleasing to look at and a great read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I came across this little gem—Horace Pippin is completely new to me. But I’m so glad I grabbed it! His story is fascinating and inspiring, as is his body of work. I got a better feel for it after googling some paintings. The illustrations in the book, though magnificent, do not do his work justice.