Review: Drawing from Memory

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



When I first saw books by Allen Say, I was subbing in a 3rd grade class where they were just beginning author studies. There were books by Tomie de Paola, Jan Brett, and several other authors, either with their own illustrations or illustrated by different artists. I took a look at the Say books and wondered if any of the students would choose those books, because they were so dull compared to the bright colors of the other books. But two students did choose the Say books, to my surprise. And, since I have been looking for books about/from Japan, I decided to take a closer look at them, too.

I just got back from a short trip to Japan in January and I have been looking for a book that I could take with me on subbing jobs, in case I have some extra time here and there to talk about my trip and to show off the yukata (cotton kimono) that I got there. I have been pleasantly surprised by the Say books. The muted colors have definitely grown in appeal for me. And, surprisingly, I really enjoyed this one's story, too. This book is mostly an autobiography of Say's early years, before he moved with his father to the US. I found it very intriguing - the amount of freedom he was allowed, his education, and his development as an artist. His struggle to reconcile his passion for art with his parents' lives and wishes is probably more interesting to older children than would normally be looking at a picture book like this.

All in all, I was surprised to find myself liking this book a lot. I am a little puzzled, however, about who would be the best audience for the book. It has too much text for a picture book read-aloud (and is not well suited to the purpose I had for it), but I don't know if older children would pick it up.



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