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The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art
An illustrated biography of Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn
“The first thing I can remember,” Ben said, “I drew.”
As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees—and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers’ rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too.
So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what’s right. As he grows, he speaks for justice through his art—by disarming classmates who bully him because he’s Jewish, by defying his teachers’ insistence that he paint beautiful landscapes rather than true stories, by urging the US government to pass Depression-era laws to help people find food and jobs.
“The first thing I can remember,” Ben said, “I drew.”
As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees—and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers’ rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too.
So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what’s right. As he grows, he speaks for justice through his art—by disarming classmates who bully him because he’s Jewish, by defying his teachers’ insistence that he paint beautiful landscapes rather than true stories, by urging the US government to pass Depression-era laws to help people find food and jobs.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 20, 2021
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436 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
February 22, 2022
Wonderful introduction to Ben Shahn and how he used his art to address issues of social justice. There are so many people who were trail blazers in the fight for social equality; Ben Shahn was always aware of the intersection between art and the ability to influence the masses. But he suffered when the powers that be decided that he had gone 'off script' as far as his message. A book that is pertinent today as we all try to navigate the intersection between art and politics.
October 7, 2022
Wow, my perusal of The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art certainly and delightfully has shown to me that author Cynthia Levinson has most definitely done some amazing and really thorough both primary and secondary research for her 2021 picture book biography The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art (and which was also awarded the 2022 Sibert Medal for non fiction). And while the featured text for The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is certainly pretty textually, pretty verbally dense (and thus more suitable to and for older children above the age of eight or so), at the same time, Levinson's writing engagingly and even entertainingly provides a nicely extensive and detailed life story of American figurative artist Ben Shahn (from his childhood in Lithuania to Ben Shahn's final years, and with Levinson also making a point that until the end of his life, Shahn not only kept drawing every day but was also busy advocating for, encouraging and supporting young American artists, giving them the mentorship he himself never received, that Ben Shahn's road to artistic fame was full of obstacles and many trials and that first and foremost, Shahn's art was and is for the people, for the working classes and not to please elitists and art snobs, which The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art very much and in my opinion glowingly and gloriously demonstrates).
But yes, my appreciation and my reading enjoyment of Cynthia Levinson text for The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is further augmented by the fact that at the front of the book there is a short glossary for the Yiddish words Levinson has used (including a pronunciation guide) and that there are equally an author's note, a detailed time line and a bibliographical section provided (books, websites, interviews, source notes), leaving me as an academic broadly smiling (even though I would personally put the glossary for the Yiddish nouns in the same area as the bibliography, as at first I completely missed that there is indeed a glossary included in The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art and was even erroneously it turns out lamenting its non presence).
Now with regard to Even Turk's accompanying artwork for The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art, while I do appreciate that Turk's pictures are (and as mentioned in the illustrators note) meant to emulate Ben Shahn's drawing and painting style, from an aesthetic point of view I do not actually find these illustrations all that visually pleasant. However, after now having checked out Ben Shahn's art online a bit (since sadly, there are no actual examples included in The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art), yes, Evan Turk's pictures, they are definitely very much similar to Ben Shahn's art and as such they do very nicely and very realistically mirror Cynthia Levinson's printed words, and that this successful and pretty much wonderful combination of text and images most definitely makes me rate The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art with four very much shining and glowing stars.
But yes, my appreciation and my reading enjoyment of Cynthia Levinson text for The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is further augmented by the fact that at the front of the book there is a short glossary for the Yiddish words Levinson has used (including a pronunciation guide) and that there are equally an author's note, a detailed time line and a bibliographical section provided (books, websites, interviews, source notes), leaving me as an academic broadly smiling (even though I would personally put the glossary for the Yiddish nouns in the same area as the bibliography, as at first I completely missed that there is indeed a glossary included in The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art and was even erroneously it turns out lamenting its non presence).
Now with regard to Even Turk's accompanying artwork for The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art, while I do appreciate that Turk's pictures are (and as mentioned in the illustrators note) meant to emulate Ben Shahn's drawing and painting style, from an aesthetic point of view I do not actually find these illustrations all that visually pleasant. However, after now having checked out Ben Shahn's art online a bit (since sadly, there are no actual examples included in The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art), yes, Evan Turk's pictures, they are definitely very much similar to Ben Shahn's art and as such they do very nicely and very realistically mirror Cynthia Levinson's printed words, and that this successful and pretty much wonderful combination of text and images most definitely makes me rate The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art with four very much shining and glowing stars.
November 29, 2021
With the suspension of the Goodreads Choice 2021 Picture Book category, I was of mixed feelings; first, my family yearly rates all the nominees, but we had in recent years been less impressed with the nominees (which Rod Brown found were often published by Amazon subsidiaries). So I consulted a couple sources for likely Caldecott Award nominees, and I asked a few people to read them with me; in general they are so much better than, for instance, last year’s GR bunch. As my kids get older, they have mostly dropped out of the reading, but I still have anywhere from 2-4 readers with me this year.
# 4, “The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art,” by Cynthia Levinson with illustrations by Evan Turk, is about a young boy who saw his father demand equal rights for workers and dedicated his life to using painting to do the same.
R (retired librarian): (5 stars). Amazing story, illustrations, bio! One of my top 2-3 favorites of all the picture books we read.
J (poet/arts educator): (5 stars). I loved the art! One of the best!
T (electrician): (4.5 stars): Great story. I loved this.
Dave (teacher): (4.5 stars): I especially like Ivan Turk’s expressionistic collage/watercolor paintings for this inspiring social justice artist about whom I knew nothing before. I liked the story a lot, but it has too many words for a young children's book, needs to be trimmed to be more evocative than thorough, imho.
# 4, “The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art,” by Cynthia Levinson with illustrations by Evan Turk, is about a young boy who saw his father demand equal rights for workers and dedicated his life to using painting to do the same.
R (retired librarian): (5 stars). Amazing story, illustrations, bio! One of my top 2-3 favorites of all the picture books we read.
J (poet/arts educator): (5 stars). I loved the art! One of the best!
T (electrician): (4.5 stars): Great story. I loved this.
Dave (teacher): (4.5 stars): I especially like Ivan Turk’s expressionistic collage/watercolor paintings for this inspiring social justice artist about whom I knew nothing before. I liked the story a lot, but it has too many words for a young children's book, needs to be trimmed to be more evocative than thorough, imho.
January 31, 2021
As a fan of Cynthia Levinson, Evan Turk, and Ben Shahn, I have been eagerly waiting to see this book. It surpassed my expectations. As she always does so well, Levinson finds a timeless and important theme in Shahn's story—as an immigrant/refugee who persisted in telling his own stories of social justice through his art. Evan Turk conveys drama and the spirit of Shahn in his gorgeous illustrations.
It's a must-purchase for me, and hopefully for every school and library as well!
It's a must-purchase for me, and hopefully for every school and library as well!
April 21, 2021
The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is a children's picture book written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk. It centers on Ben Shahn, who melds art and protest perfectly.
Ben Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as "The Shape of Content".
Levinson's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Levinson's smooth, well-researched narrative provides a comprehensive introduction to a justice-minded painter. Backmatter includes an author's note, an illustrator's note, a timeline, Yiddish glossary, and selected bibliography. Bold, richly layered multimedia illustrations by Turk feature abstracted characters in Shahn's style.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This profile of Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn, who emigrated from Lithuania to America in 1906, highlights the threads of compassion and social justice that ran through his work. Shahn learned of injustice early in his life, witnessing his father's banishment to Siberia for demanding fair pay for working people, and later experiencing anti-Semitism in America.
Leaving school at age 14 to help support his family, Shahn attended art school at night while apprenticed to a lithographer. An unjust execution spurred Shahn's social realism paintings, attention to which resulted in the U.S. government hiring him to take photographs across America that revealed hard lives in troubled times.
All in all, The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is an engaging account of a life of an artist with a social conscience makes itself heard.
Ben Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as "The Shape of Content".
Levinson's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Levinson's smooth, well-researched narrative provides a comprehensive introduction to a justice-minded painter. Backmatter includes an author's note, an illustrator's note, a timeline, Yiddish glossary, and selected bibliography. Bold, richly layered multimedia illustrations by Turk feature abstracted characters in Shahn's style.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. This profile of Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn, who emigrated from Lithuania to America in 1906, highlights the threads of compassion and social justice that ran through his work. Shahn learned of injustice early in his life, witnessing his father's banishment to Siberia for demanding fair pay for working people, and later experiencing anti-Semitism in America.
Leaving school at age 14 to help support his family, Shahn attended art school at night while apprenticed to a lithographer. An unjust execution spurred Shahn's social realism paintings, attention to which resulted in the U.S. government hiring him to take photographs across America that revealed hard lives in troubled times.
All in all, The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is an engaging account of a life of an artist with a social conscience makes itself heard.
May 29, 2021
An exceptionally written and illustrated picture book biography of the "social realist" artist. Levinson's accessible, thoughtfully crafted text is beautifully complemented with Evan Turk's bold, expressive, richly layered illustrations.
November 15, 2021
I love Ben Shahn, and the illustrations in this book do an incredible job of evoking his work without mimicry or parody. The text, however, is WAY too long. There's good content there, but holy cow it's long.
June 29, 2021
One of my top five favorite picture books of 2021. Fascinating text and Caldecott worthy illustrations. It is high time for Evan Turk to win a Caldecott!
March 24, 2022
2022 Robert F. Sibert Medal
"Being an artist is not only what you do, but also how you live your life." - Ben Shahn quote at the end of Cynthia Levinson's author note.
WOW. This book "lives" that theme; Levinson's writing and Evan Turk's illustrations pursue and achieve how this way of being in the world drove Shahn from his earliest years.
Would be EASY TO READ ALOUD to a group of intermediate grade students or ask them to read in a small STUDENT-LED SMALL GROUP. Read for the JOY first and then post that quote and ask students to listen for key details that support this theme. From the beginning art is a curious RELEASE for Shahn; his first memories are of drawing. Then art also becomes a RESPONSE as he uses it to thwart bullies, to make a living making signs. Then art also becomes a LENSE for others to use as they think about what was happening in America. SO POWERFUL.
EVAN'S ILLUSTRATIONS are incredible. Students deserve time to sit and just look and look and discuss.
Note: If you do decide to read this aloud, you might check Google for pronunciations of a few Yiddish words that pops up early in the book - shtetl, tate, mame.
DON'T SKIP THE BACK MATTER. Levinson shares more details about Shahn's life and Turk discusses the medium for the art. There's also a helpful timeline (e.g., Shahn is born in 1898 which is not stated in the story and may need to be background offered before students read.)
PARTNER THIS TEXT WITH other award-winning bios about artists -
*Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Judith Scott with Brie Spangler & illustrated by Melissa Sweet
*Make Meatballs Sing: the life & art of CORITA KENT by Matthew Burgess & Kara Kramer
"Being an artist is not only what you do, but also how you live your life." - Ben Shahn quote at the end of Cynthia Levinson's author note.
WOW. This book "lives" that theme; Levinson's writing and Evan Turk's illustrations pursue and achieve how this way of being in the world drove Shahn from his earliest years.
Would be EASY TO READ ALOUD to a group of intermediate grade students or ask them to read in a small STUDENT-LED SMALL GROUP. Read for the JOY first and then post that quote and ask students to listen for key details that support this theme. From the beginning art is a curious RELEASE for Shahn; his first memories are of drawing. Then art also becomes a RESPONSE as he uses it to thwart bullies, to make a living making signs. Then art also becomes a LENSE for others to use as they think about what was happening in America. SO POWERFUL.
EVAN'S ILLUSTRATIONS are incredible. Students deserve time to sit and just look and look and discuss.
Note: If you do decide to read this aloud, you might check Google for pronunciations of a few Yiddish words that pops up early in the book - shtetl, tate, mame.
DON'T SKIP THE BACK MATTER. Levinson shares more details about Shahn's life and Turk discusses the medium for the art. There's also a helpful timeline (e.g., Shahn is born in 1898 which is not stated in the story and may need to be background offered before students read.)
PARTNER THIS TEXT WITH other award-winning bios about artists -
*Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Judith Scott with Brie Spangler & illustrated by Melissa Sweet
*Make Meatballs Sing: the life & art of CORITA KENT by Matthew Burgess & Kara Kramer
May 5, 2022
4.5 Stars. The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art is a children's picture book written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk.
It tells about the artist, Ben Shahn, who was concerned with justice and expressed his feelings beautifully through his art. He loved to draw and to share stories through his art. I wasn't familiar with Ben Shahn, and appreciated the historical information and timeline included in the book. Evan Turk's illustrations have a post-impressionist feeling that I really like. While, I enjoyed the story written by Cynthia Levinson, I think that the text is too long and involved for young children.
It tells about the artist, Ben Shahn, who was concerned with justice and expressed his feelings beautifully through his art. He loved to draw and to share stories through his art. I wasn't familiar with Ben Shahn, and appreciated the historical information and timeline included in the book. Evan Turk's illustrations have a post-impressionist feeling that I really like. While, I enjoyed the story written by Cynthia Levinson, I think that the text is too long and involved for young children.
May 20, 2021
Inspiring and insightful, this book reminds us that art doesn't have to be passive and pretty--art can speak as loudly as a shout in protesting injustice and calling for change. Adults may learn as much as the kids reading this!
January 26, 2022
I love a book's ability to teach us about something we didn't know and show us an appreciation for it. I didn't know about Ben Shahn before I read this book. He was quite the accomplished artist. I liked in the Author's Note where a student had said, "You just have to look at it, and you see the story."
January 29, 2022
WOW. I hadn't seen this book until today after it won the 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children earlier this week. What a treasure it is...at times heartbreaking, but mostly inspirational, and it's beautifully told and strikingly illustrated. I would guess it is always challenging to illustrate a book about an artist but I loved the detail in the back that illustrator Evan Turk had done a 5th-grade research project on Shahn. I hope many other 5th graders now will see this book and dig into the life and work of Ben Shahn.
December 16, 2021
This book is a wonderful tribute to an artist who was passionate about illustrating social injustice and bringing it to public awareness. The illustrations are amazing! I appreciated the separate notes from the author and the illustrator at the end, in addition to a timeline, which provides "snapshots of Ben Shahn's life" and "The bigger Picture," the world events going on at that time.
Favorite quote: "Ben drew until the end of his life, handing down his stories of justice from generation to generation."
Favorite quote: "Ben drew until the end of his life, handing down his stories of justice from generation to generation."
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July 26, 2025Really lovely and fascinating, though saying "Bible stories" was A Choice considering a leftist Jew of that era would probably never. There's already a glossary; would it really have been a stretch to say Torah?
November 2, 2021
Beautiful and uniquely put together junior biography that will inspire you to step out and speak out!
June 25, 2021
The life story of Ben Shahn, immigrant and social justice painter, whose style influenced American fine and graphic arts. With an emphasis on Shahn's forthrightness, his passion for justice, and his artwork, this is a stalwart biography, beautifully illustrated by Evan Turk who takes Shahn's style and makes it his own. Additional back matter gives an overview and textual snapshots of his life.
October 23, 2021
Ben Shahn - a child with a dream. He lived from 1898 - 1969.
His family immigrated to America in early 1900s. He painted stories that were able to bring justice to all people of all status, culture, and culture. He painted for President Roosevelt in 1937.
This is an excellent book to kick off so many units of study and thought, grades 4th and up. The illustrations are worthy of a historical study, as well. Ben Shahn's illustrations had a big influence of Evan Turk's work in this book.
Together, author, Cynthia Levinson, and illustrator, Evan Turk, bring to life the dreams of Ben Shahn, artist for the people. Fact is, the same stories of justice for Americans are still in the news. Some budding artist that might read this book could be inspired to continue in Ben Shahn's footsteps.
His family immigrated to America in early 1900s. He painted stories that were able to bring justice to all people of all status, culture, and culture. He painted for President Roosevelt in 1937.
This is an excellent book to kick off so many units of study and thought, grades 4th and up. The illustrations are worthy of a historical study, as well. Ben Shahn's illustrations had a big influence of Evan Turk's work in this book.
Together, author, Cynthia Levinson, and illustrator, Evan Turk, bring to life the dreams of Ben Shahn, artist for the people. Fact is, the same stories of justice for Americans are still in the news. Some budding artist that might read this book could be inspired to continue in Ben Shahn's footsteps.
June 22, 2021
Beautiful and inspiring!!!
March 17, 2022
I had no idea this man existed and now I am inspired to find all of his art.
December 27, 2021
Such a lovely book images are dynamic
August 26, 2022
This is a gorgeously detailed picture book biography of artist and activist Ben Shahn. It's fascinating and inspiring and covers his personal and professional history as well as his involvement in various social justice and civil rights movements for the better half of a century. It also definitely highlights his Jewishness as well. The art is lovely (and I read it to my baby niece who really loved the colours) and fits the story perfectly. Overall just what I hope for from a picture book biography, and one I would especially recommend for kids interested in history, art, Jewish stories, or social justice.
February 15, 2021
My artist-husband and I poured over the gorgeous illustrations in this beautiful biographical book and sought out more information about and images from the artist. Highly recommended, though, ps the tightness of the type could use some attention in places for subsequent editions to help early and struggling readers.
May 18, 2021
This is just absolutely damn wonderful. The combo of Evan Turk and Ben Shahn had me poring over every page.
July 10, 2021
What an important book about an artist I knew very little about.
August 10, 2021
Read for Librarian Book Group
I think the art was supposed to make a point about the subject's style, but I found it messy and off-putting.
I think the art was supposed to make a point about the subject's style, but I found it messy and off-putting.
March 13, 2022
This book was on my #MustReadin2022 list as it was a Sibert Medal winner for (2022). I knew nothing about Ben Shahn before this lovely picture book, so I'd say it was a very important read!
June 29, 2024
The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought For Justice With Art was written by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk in 2021. This book received the 2023 Sibert Medal, and it was through the award’s list of winners that I found this title.
The book is about the life of the artist Ben Shahn and how he uses his art to fight injustice. It is illustrated in the style of Shahn’s vibrant and expressive artworks. Shahn grew up in a shtetl in Lithuania. His father was arrested for demanding fair wages for working people and was hauled off to Siberia. After his father escapes, Shahn’s family moves to the U.S. We see a ship in front of the Statue of Liberty, bringing immigrants to Ellis Island. Shahn experiences xenophobia and antisemitism, as well as struggling with the language barrier, but he finds a way to express himself through art. As others see Shahn’s talent, they encourage him to pursue art and he is determined to become an artist. At fourteen, he becomes a lithographer’s apprentice, making hand-lettered signs, and attends art school at night. The art school focuses on landscapes, but Shahn wants to make art that reflects people’s stories, especially ones about fighting injustice. He fights injustice with a series of paintings about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial and then continues to capture stories about other marginalized people, like prisoners, immigrants, and Jews, in his artwork. He is even hired during the Great Depression to capture the struggles of the people and his photos were used to promote the passage of laws and programs that would provide government aid. As part of these programs, a village is created that Shahn and his family, along with many other Jewish workers, move to, and it reminds him of the shtetl he grew up in. A decade later, we see the culture shift as Shahn is under suspicion because of his support of the working class during a time when there was fear of communism. In the 1960s, he uses his art to support the Civil Rights movement.
Through the story of Shahn’s life, The People’s Painter covers social and political events and issues that impacted people in the early-mid 20th century. Readers learn about the struggles that many immigrants faced at the time, from tenement housing to discrimination, language barriers, and economic struggles. We briefly learn of government programs to support working people during the Great Depression, the Red Scare, in which many innocent people were accused of crimes against and/or disloyalty to the U.S., and of the Civil Rights movement. While these eras are only touched on, the author does a great job of weaving the thread of injustice through them all and how Shahn uses his art as a voice for the marginalized and oppressed.
I absolutely loved this book and loved learning about Shahn’s life. I wish that there had been more children's books featuring Jewish characters or about Jewish figures when I was a kid — the only place I ever saw books featuring Jewish culture and religion, was at Hebrew school.
This book could be used in class to think about how art can be used to respond to social and political issues. Students could be asked to create a piece of artwork that responds to an issue important to them.
The book is about the life of the artist Ben Shahn and how he uses his art to fight injustice. It is illustrated in the style of Shahn’s vibrant and expressive artworks. Shahn grew up in a shtetl in Lithuania. His father was arrested for demanding fair wages for working people and was hauled off to Siberia. After his father escapes, Shahn’s family moves to the U.S. We see a ship in front of the Statue of Liberty, bringing immigrants to Ellis Island. Shahn experiences xenophobia and antisemitism, as well as struggling with the language barrier, but he finds a way to express himself through art. As others see Shahn’s talent, they encourage him to pursue art and he is determined to become an artist. At fourteen, he becomes a lithographer’s apprentice, making hand-lettered signs, and attends art school at night. The art school focuses on landscapes, but Shahn wants to make art that reflects people’s stories, especially ones about fighting injustice. He fights injustice with a series of paintings about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial and then continues to capture stories about other marginalized people, like prisoners, immigrants, and Jews, in his artwork. He is even hired during the Great Depression to capture the struggles of the people and his photos were used to promote the passage of laws and programs that would provide government aid. As part of these programs, a village is created that Shahn and his family, along with many other Jewish workers, move to, and it reminds him of the shtetl he grew up in. A decade later, we see the culture shift as Shahn is under suspicion because of his support of the working class during a time when there was fear of communism. In the 1960s, he uses his art to support the Civil Rights movement.
Through the story of Shahn’s life, The People’s Painter covers social and political events and issues that impacted people in the early-mid 20th century. Readers learn about the struggles that many immigrants faced at the time, from tenement housing to discrimination, language barriers, and economic struggles. We briefly learn of government programs to support working people during the Great Depression, the Red Scare, in which many innocent people were accused of crimes against and/or disloyalty to the U.S., and of the Civil Rights movement. While these eras are only touched on, the author does a great job of weaving the thread of injustice through them all and how Shahn uses his art as a voice for the marginalized and oppressed.
I absolutely loved this book and loved learning about Shahn’s life. I wish that there had been more children's books featuring Jewish characters or about Jewish figures when I was a kid — the only place I ever saw books featuring Jewish culture and religion, was at Hebrew school.
This book could be used in class to think about how art can be used to respond to social and political issues. Students could be asked to create a piece of artwork that responds to an issue important to them.
July 10, 2021
Growing up in a shtetl in Lithuania, Ben Shahn practiced noticing (and standing up to) injustice wherever he saw it and drew whenever he got the chance. Upon immigrating to the US with his family as a child, after his father was deported to Siberia by the Czar for supporting worker's rights, Ben continued these early practices of his, and developed a career and perspective as an artist that was based around centering the marginalized and documenting those who stood up against injustice and for their beliefs. This artist biography is engaging and inspiring. Incorporating many big topics and big stories, The People's Painter is nonetheless an accessible read for early elementary audiences and provides a lot of opportunity for discussing protest, injustice, workers rights, immigration, anti-Semitism, art, and intersectionality. Illustrations are gorgeous.
Themes: protest, injustice, workers rights, immigration, anti-Semitism, art, stand up, use your voice!, family, Judaism
Age range: Kindergarten-Elementary
Themes: protest, injustice, workers rights, immigration, anti-Semitism, art, stand up, use your voice!, family, Judaism
Age range: Kindergarten-Elementary
April 15, 2021
This wonderful picture book biography details the life of Ben Shahn, a Jewish artist, immigrant, and activist who used his discerning sense of justice and artistic talent to bring awareness to social issues throughout his career – issues such as the executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1927, the struggles of rural Americans during the Great Depression, and much more.
Beginning with his childhood in Lithuania, where Ben’s father was banished for demanding worker’s rights, The People’s Painter teaches young readers about Ben Shahn’s passion for justice. Following his immigration to America, we learn the ways Ben Shahn pushed back against his teachers’ ideas of art. The People’s Painter is not only educational, but a great resource to encourage children to expose injustice and stand up for marginalized communities the same way Ben Shahn did — by finding their voice and following it.
The illustrations by Evan Turk feature bold expressive paintings, drawing parallels to Shahn’s work, creating the perfect backdrop for his story.
Cynthia Levinson is the author of The Youngest Marcher and the winner of both the Crystal Kite and Carter G. Woodson awards. Please visit her website at cynthialevinson.com to learn more about her and her work.
Evan Turk is an author, animator, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award–winning illustrator. To learn more about him and his work, please visit his website at evanturk.squarespace.com.
I would like to thank Abrams Books For Young Readers for providing me a copy of this wonderful book. I can’t think of a better title for World Art Day, and I’m so honored to share Ben Shahn’s story with you all today.
Beginning with his childhood in Lithuania, where Ben’s father was banished for demanding worker’s rights, The People’s Painter teaches young readers about Ben Shahn’s passion for justice. Following his immigration to America, we learn the ways Ben Shahn pushed back against his teachers’ ideas of art. The People’s Painter is not only educational, but a great resource to encourage children to expose injustice and stand up for marginalized communities the same way Ben Shahn did — by finding their voice and following it.
The illustrations by Evan Turk feature bold expressive paintings, drawing parallels to Shahn’s work, creating the perfect backdrop for his story.
Cynthia Levinson is the author of The Youngest Marcher and the winner of both the Crystal Kite and Carter G. Woodson awards. Please visit her website at cynthialevinson.com to learn more about her and her work.
Evan Turk is an author, animator, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award–winning illustrator. To learn more about him and his work, please visit his website at evanturk.squarespace.com.
I would like to thank Abrams Books For Young Readers for providing me a copy of this wonderful book. I can’t think of a better title for World Art Day, and I’m so honored to share Ben Shahn’s story with you all today.
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