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Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain
A tribute to an artist unafraid to break with tradition.
In her own glowing paintings and lucid text, Deborah Kogan Ray tells the fascinating life story of the Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849). He rose from poverty, taught himself to draw, became the promising pupil of a great master, and then defied tradition to become one of the most important and influential artists in the world.
Ray's paintings are rich with period and biographical detail. The endpapers show drawings from Hokusai's sketchbooks. Also included is one of his famous Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
In her own glowing paintings and lucid text, Deborah Kogan Ray tells the fascinating life story of the Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849). He rose from poverty, taught himself to draw, became the promising pupil of a great master, and then defied tradition to become one of the most important and influential artists in the world.
Ray's paintings are rich with period and biographical detail. The endpapers show drawings from Hokusai's sketchbooks. Also included is one of his famous Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 9, 2022
Artist Hokusai lived in Japan from 1760 to 1849. From poverty to fame, he taught himself to draw eventually becoming an extraordinary artist. He created over 30,000 pieces of art and became world renown. He used over 30 names but is known as Hokusai as that is how he signed his masterpiece, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. In this picture book, his life is revealed from his mother’s death at six years old, polishing mirrors for shoguns, discovering a lending library at 12, working as a wood block engraver at a print shop, and becoming apprenticed to a great master painter of the Floating World at 18. The Floating World consisted of people who enjoyed the pleasures of life such as actors, dancers, sumo wrestlers, and geishas. As he studied and implemented Chinese and Western art, his style and images changed as did his name. He angered the Japanese art world as he was expected to follow rules and “be faithful to one master.” However his creativity had no bounds. After his wife died, he made a pilgrimage to Mount Fuji. The sacred mountain and its surroundings resulted in his masterpiece, including The Great Wave off Kanagawa (which I love), completing the series in his 70s. He called himself Gakyo Roji, “old man mad about painting.” What a wonderful introduction to a marvelous artist.
September 17, 2010
4.5 STARS
Another winner from Deborah Kogan Ray! This time, she tells the story of the artist whose work influenced her own decision to become an artist, so I imagine this book was very dear to her heart. I can't give it five stars because it failed to really move me, as some other picture book biographies have done, but it is still an outstanding book and a deftly conveyed portrait of not only Hokusai the artist, but the Japan of the 1700s with its shoguns and policy of national seclusion. I liked how the story followed Hokusai (one of the many names he gave himself, chosen by Ray because it is the name he used while painting his most famous work "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji") from childhood to old age. The quotes she uses are illuminating and I especially enjoyed the one where he says that his work before age 70 was not remarkable because he had not yet understood the quality of nature. "...(but)when I am one hundred and ten, each dot and every line will surely possess a life of its own." Wow! These days, most people are thinking of retirement at age 70, haha! Unfortunately, Hokusai didn't live to be 110, but he did live and paint into his 90th year and went from being a lowly peasant to a well-respected and famous artist whose even influenced the French Impressionists! I think it's fascinating to compare countries across the same time period. When Hokusai made his first strides in the art world, the colonies were struggling for independence here in America! Hokusai's world seems so far removed from our own, from anything Western (indeed, the policy of national seclusion made it so!) and it's amazing to realize what was happening simultaneously in the world. Highly recommended for budding artists, or anyone interested in learning about art and/or the history of Japanese culture.
Another winner from Deborah Kogan Ray! This time, she tells the story of the artist whose work influenced her own decision to become an artist, so I imagine this book was very dear to her heart. I can't give it five stars because it failed to really move me, as some other picture book biographies have done, but it is still an outstanding book and a deftly conveyed portrait of not only Hokusai the artist, but the Japan of the 1700s with its shoguns and policy of national seclusion. I liked how the story followed Hokusai (one of the many names he gave himself, chosen by Ray because it is the name he used while painting his most famous work "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fiji") from childhood to old age. The quotes she uses are illuminating and I especially enjoyed the one where he says that his work before age 70 was not remarkable because he had not yet understood the quality of nature. "...(but)when I am one hundred and ten, each dot and every line will surely possess a life of its own." Wow! These days, most people are thinking of retirement at age 70, haha! Unfortunately, Hokusai didn't live to be 110, but he did live and paint into his 90th year and went from being a lowly peasant to a well-respected and famous artist whose even influenced the French Impressionists! I think it's fascinating to compare countries across the same time period. When Hokusai made his first strides in the art world, the colonies were struggling for independence here in America! Hokusai's world seems so far removed from our own, from anything Western (indeed, the policy of national seclusion made it so!) and it's amazing to realize what was happening simultaneously in the world. Highly recommended for budding artists, or anyone interested in learning about art and/or the history of Japanese culture.
July 18, 2010
This is a wonderful biography and art history book for children.
It’s about a Japanese artist (who called himself by many names) who lived from 1760-1849, and left behind 30,000 works of art. Children should enjoy this because the book covers this man’s life from the time of his birth, and though it covers his whole life, concentrates quite a bit on his childhood years. I love how his passion for creating art is so well conveyed.
I enjoyed the Japanese characters for various words that are on nearly every page and I loved the captions at the illustrations.
I appreciated all the notes at the end of the book: a short biography of the man, a chronology list that shows events of Japanese history with the artist’s life within it, and the selected bibliography.
I liked that a bit of Hokusai’s work (with which I’m familiar) is shown, and I really enjoyed Ray’s illustrations; they made me feel I was right there in that time and place, watching through an artist’s eyes; they’re just outstanding, and beautiful to view. The whole book is beautifully crafted.
One thing I learned which surprised me is the influence Hokusai had on the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.
It’s about a Japanese artist (who called himself by many names) who lived from 1760-1849, and left behind 30,000 works of art. Children should enjoy this because the book covers this man’s life from the time of his birth, and though it covers his whole life, concentrates quite a bit on his childhood years. I love how his passion for creating art is so well conveyed.
I enjoyed the Japanese characters for various words that are on nearly every page and I loved the captions at the illustrations.
I appreciated all the notes at the end of the book: a short biography of the man, a chronology list that shows events of Japanese history with the artist’s life within it, and the selected bibliography.
I liked that a bit of Hokusai’s work (with which I’m familiar) is shown, and I really enjoyed Ray’s illustrations; they made me feel I was right there in that time and place, watching through an artist’s eyes; they’re just outstanding, and beautiful to view. The whole book is beautifully crafted.
One thing I learned which surprised me is the influence Hokusai had on the French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.
May 28, 2019
Deborah Kogan Ray, whose many excellent picture-book biographies include such titles as
Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw
and
To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda
, here turns her attention to the story of the 18th/19th century Japanese artist known as Hokusai, and the result is simply delightful! Her engaging narrative, which follows the self-styled "peasant from Katsushika" (who used more than thirty names in the course of his life) as he rises from orphaned shop assistant to famous artist, is paired with Ray's own lovely artwork, and one reproduction of a Hokusai print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
I enjoyed learning more about this extraordinary man and artist, whose name was familiar, but whose life-story was previously unknown to me. How amazing, not just that Hokusai (a name which means "North Star Studio") went from an impoverished orphan to a renowned artist - someone whose funeral procession included one hundred of the shogun's samurai - but also, how remarkable that his creative impulses prompted him to continually try new styles and methods, and to depict unpopular subjects like fisherman, and other working-class people. Ray is to be commended, not just for creating an engaging and informative story, but for really giving the reader a sense of her subject's complexity and depth, as an artist. Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain (that would be Mt. Fuji), is highly recommended to all young artists and would-be artists, and all young readers interested in the history of art and/or Japan.
I enjoyed learning more about this extraordinary man and artist, whose name was familiar, but whose life-story was previously unknown to me. How amazing, not just that Hokusai (a name which means "North Star Studio") went from an impoverished orphan to a renowned artist - someone whose funeral procession included one hundred of the shogun's samurai - but also, how remarkable that his creative impulses prompted him to continually try new styles and methods, and to depict unpopular subjects like fisherman, and other working-class people. Ray is to be commended, not just for creating an engaging and informative story, but for really giving the reader a sense of her subject's complexity and depth, as an artist. Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain (that would be Mt. Fuji), is highly recommended to all young artists and would-be artists, and all young readers interested in the history of art and/or Japan.
March 30, 2016
I like how this book tells the story of Hokusai's life. I wish it had more pictures of his actual art though.
July 25, 2019
I'm a big fan of Hokusai. This is a fine introduction, but could stand to include some more examples of his work.
I also have to ding the books explanation of kanji a little. The book glosses kanji as pictographs (fine, whatever) but the handful of kanji that the author picked weren't even all pictographs! 花 is an ideograph! Get it right or get nit-picked by a stranger on the internet, Kogan Ray!
I also have to ding the books explanation of kanji a little. The book glosses kanji as pictographs (fine, whatever) but the handful of kanji that the author picked weren't even all pictographs! 花 is an ideograph! Get it right or get nit-picked by a stranger on the internet, Kogan Ray!
August 9, 2010
Deborah Kogan Ray writes about the life of Hokusai, the Japanese artist who inspired her to become an artist when she saw his print "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" at the age of 16. This book could also be a means of inspiring children who are budding artists.
Hokusai was always faithful to his own ideas of art even though it meant not making as much money. He said, "I must paint the way my heart tells me," and "There are many other ways of painting that I must learn," when he was criticized for painting in the Western way or the ancient Chinese way. He also felt that he wouldn't have learned enough to become truly marvelous as an artist until the age of 100. In her author's note at the end, Ray says he not only changed the art of Japan, but the Western world as well, influencing artists such as Manet, Degas, Mary Cassatt, Gaugin and Van Gogh. Sadly, he died when he was 90. What an inspiration for artists or anyone who feels that learning is a lifetime pursuit.
It goes without saying that Ray's illustrations in this are fantastic. She pays a fitting tribute to the artist who inspired her career with this book.
Hokusai was always faithful to his own ideas of art even though it meant not making as much money. He said, "I must paint the way my heart tells me," and "There are many other ways of painting that I must learn," when he was criticized for painting in the Western way or the ancient Chinese way. He also felt that he wouldn't have learned enough to become truly marvelous as an artist until the age of 100. In her author's note at the end, Ray says he not only changed the art of Japan, but the Western world as well, influencing artists such as Manet, Degas, Mary Cassatt, Gaugin and Van Gogh. Sadly, he died when he was 90. What an inspiration for artists or anyone who feels that learning is a lifetime pursuit.
It goes without saying that Ray's illustrations in this are fantastic. She pays a fitting tribute to the artist who inspired her career with this book.
October 26, 2017
I'm always frustrated when books about artists don't contain more! of! their! art!
Good read, though, and I liked the inclusion of actual quotes from Hukusai, various signatures he used, and Japanese characters.
Good read, though, and I liked the inclusion of actual quotes from Hukusai, various signatures he used, and Japanese characters.
May 26, 2021
What an interesting life! Hokusai was born in 1760 to a single mother in a poor part of town. At age 6, she passed away, leaving him orphaned. Luckily, he had a talent that lead him up the social ladders in Japanese society in a time when that was very difficult. His artwork brought him fame, but he always followed his own inner guidance, sometimes to the dismay of his patrons. He loved his artistry so much that he created every day of his life, leaving an indelible mark on the world. He became quite influential in the West, too. "Thirty six views of Mount Fuji" is his most famous work. I do wish that there had been more of his art in the illustrations in this book, but I'm sure that I can find that in other sources. Great intro for kids!
October 22, 2020
I love it when one experience leads me to more joyful experiences. The author of this book was the illustrator for another book I recently read. I googled her to find out what else she had done, and found this book she had written. I had never heard of Hokusai so I was intrigued. What a wonderful story! Now I am googling his paintings.
May 10, 2017
Lovely intro to the artist of the Wave.
April 3, 2018
Even as a ghost
I’ll gaily tread
The summer moors.
-the old man mad about painting
I’ll gaily tread
The summer moors.
-the old man mad about painting
February 12, 2021
What a delightful introduction to an artist whose work I have admired for years. I learned so much about him and plan to read more in depth on the artist and his works.
June 11, 2023
Too wordy for a picture book, but interesting.
May 29, 2012
Age Range 7-10
An intriguing and appealing biography of a Japanese artist (1780-1849) most famous for his 'Thirty six views of Mt. Fuji.'Not only is Hokusai's work seminal, kids may recognize his iconic 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa,'but his life as an artist has many intriguing elements. In a highly stratified society Kanagawa managed to rise from an impoverished background to become a revered artist. Having achieved great social and commercial success he turned his back on a secure career and began to paint landscapes, incorporating elements of Western artistic style. He was castigated for this as well as his interest in painting scenes of including peasants and ordinary life activities. To follow his artistic inclination and support his family he sold peppers and calendars. His work exerted a strong influence on many famous Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. He changed his name and artistic style many times during his long and prolific career. By the time he died at 89 he had painted over 30,000 works. Clearly Hokusai is an important art-historical figure, has an intriguing life history and is an especially valuable multi-cultural addition to children's art history biographies, which tend to focus on American and European artists.
An intriguing and appealing biography of a Japanese artist (1780-1849) most famous for his 'Thirty six views of Mt. Fuji.'Not only is Hokusai's work seminal, kids may recognize his iconic 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa,'but his life as an artist has many intriguing elements. In a highly stratified society Kanagawa managed to rise from an impoverished background to become a revered artist. Having achieved great social and commercial success he turned his back on a secure career and began to paint landscapes, incorporating elements of Western artistic style. He was castigated for this as well as his interest in painting scenes of including peasants and ordinary life activities. To follow his artistic inclination and support his family he sold peppers and calendars. His work exerted a strong influence on many famous Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. He changed his name and artistic style many times during his long and prolific career. By the time he died at 89 he had painted over 30,000 works. Clearly Hokusai is an important art-historical figure, has an intriguing life history and is an especially valuable multi-cultural addition to children's art history biographies, which tend to focus on American and European artists.
November 23, 2008
I enjoyed reading this biography. Hokusai lived in Japan from 1760- 1849. He made over 30,000 works of art! This picture book tells his life story from the time he was 5 and started drawing in the dirt. It mentions how he loved to learn to write because the Japanese characters were like works of art. Each illustration has a caption with the Japanese characters to match. The book includes a chronology and bibliography at the end. The illustrations are wonderful and include endpapers that show drawings from Hokusai's sketchbooks as well as a picture from "Thirty-six views of Mount Fiji". It is interesting to note that the author and illustrator visited a museum for the first time at the age of 16. There she saw a print of Hoksuai's and and decided there and then to become an artist. This book could be used with students of any age. It could be used to tie in with a unit on Japan. It would make an excellent story for an art teacher to share with his/her class, especially if they were making wood block paintings.
December 17, 2013
Some books, as I read them aloud, I can watch my children draw in closer and closer to me and the book. This was one of those books. My children loved looking at the illustrations, seeing the kanji and translations at the bottom of each page, and hearing the story about a boy who followed his passion for drawing throughout his life.
My favorite part was towards the end of the book:
There's a man who cultivated "beginner mind."
My favorite part was towards the end of the book:
"Late in Hokusai's life, scholars asked Japan's famous master to sum up his work as an artist.
"'From the age of five,' Hokusai wrote to them, 'I have needed to sketch the form of things. Yet of all I drew prior to the age of seventy, there is truly nothing of great note.'"
There's a man who cultivated "beginner mind."
February 20, 2016
Amazing and informative picture book biography of famous Japanese artist, Hokusai. Born in the lowest class, Hokusai became one of the most well known artists of his time . . . though he never became rich. Includes a timeline and bibliography and characters in kanji as well. Kogan does a good job of evoking the historical and cultural context of Hokusai's world, including elements like the role of books, the power of the shogun, the insular nature of the country, the printmaking process, and kabuki theatre. Good to pair with Francois Place's Old Man Mad about Painting.
May 30, 2016
Well-written biography of Japanese artist Hokusai. Illustrations are beautifully done, however, it would have been more representative to include a number of Hokusai's works throughout the text. The only art by the artist are drawings from "Hokusai Manga", as well as his most famous work of art (and one of my favorite paintings), "The Great Wave off Kanagawa".
April 16, 2015
I had no idea who Hokusai was, but now I do. Very impressive book. Additionally, I leaned about the time period when the Shoguns essentially isolated Japan from the world and how that effected the people of Japan. Really a great biography. Well worth the time to read. It takes a little longer than some picture book biographies, but still really well done.
February 3, 2011
I knew nothing of Hokusai prior to reading this book. This was an interesting look at the life of an interesting man. Even more interesting was the information about how the art world worked at that time in Japan.
November 25, 2015
Saw this propped up on shelf at the library and read it in 15 minutes! Children's books are great. Didn't know much about Hokusai's life before but now I see that he was the awesomest dude ever. Would that we all could love something as much he loved painting.
December 6, 2016
An interesting look into the life of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, who amassed a large collection of work including the renowned The Great Wave off Kanagawa. A nice addition to any art history class or just for the joy of reading.
January 18, 2017
As much as I don't prefer this style of illustration, this book proved useful in our study of Hokusai. The addition of the Kanji characters on each page helped us as we tried to paint Chinese characters, and the story was fairly thorough as it followed him from birth to death.
June 27, 2010
I really liked this book. I love to learn about people, and I'd been to his museum in Japan.
January 17, 2018
A very interesting biography of Hokusai for children with very nice illustrations.
September 26, 2024
A visually interesting, memorable biography written for elementary ages.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews