On My Block: Stories and Paintings by Fifteen Artists

by Dana Goldberg (Editor)

In this lovely homage to neighborhoods everywhere, 15 gifted artists portray the places most special to them. Readers soar from the rooftops of south Brooklyn to the desert of Taos Pueblo, from a basement in San Francisco’s Japantown to a Mississippi Gulf Coast porch. A garden in Mexico overflows with brilliant flowers while one in Tehran hums with the purring of 32 cats. Moving, funny, and unexpected, the stories and images encourage children to explore and observe their own neighborhood and to ask, What is my world? What is my special place?

Genres: Picture Books, Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2007

Reviews

[Pdxladybug · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING book! Each page has a work of art created by an artist based on their personal experiences. On the facing page is a short essay by the author about their piece and mini-biography.

I will be using this book as the foundation for an art class for a summer program that serves 2nd-4th graders. Our over-all theme for the program is community. There will be two parts: "On My Block" will encourage the children to create their own masterpieces based on their experiences and their relationships to their communities. The second part will be "In the Style of..." and will encourage students to try different artistic techniques by creating art based on works by known artists. This book is a great foundation for both parts of the class.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As subtitled, stories and paintings by fifteen artists, this book asks on the book jacket flap if there are places on your block that you like to explore or places that hold special memories?
While the variety of art and artists is pleasing, I would have preferred an introduction leading into the book (there is a last page in addition to the book jacket flap) as the design of the book is a bit jarring, especially considering the topic is broadly approaced from childhood memories to more literal present day interpretations.
Other than that, young artist will be inspired by the variety of ways artists express themselves.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful text that can be used in part or whole in art or language arts. It's a collection of art and brief descriptions of places important in the life of that artist. This would be a great mentor text for writing about setting or a sense of place. A major plus is the diversity of the artists and their cultural backgrounds.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful and inspiring book that would make a great gift for any kid who likes to make art. Each artist has a two-page spread where they write about their childhood, their art, and make an illustration.

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be more a 4.5.

I love the concept of having different artists paint and write a story picture of one of their favorite places.

[Alana "Loni" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, different styles of art. I appreciated the ordinary places the artists described throughout, that still were hugely inspiring to them as artists.