1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cummings, Pat. 1992. TALKING WITH ARTISTS. Vol. 1. New York, NY: Bradbury Press. ISBN 02-72425-5

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this book, Pat Cummings interview fourteen distinguished children’s book illustrators. Each chapter begins with an autobiographical description of the artist. Each depiction provides details of the artists private and professional career. Pat Cummings provides a childhood and adult picture of the artist. Further, the illustrators furnish a childhood drawing and a professional drawing from his / her portfolio. Moreover, in this book, Pat Cummings directs
the artists to eight basic questions a child would ask. For example, “Do you ever put people you know in your pictures?” and “What do you use to make your pictures?”(Cummings 1992, p. 13). Finally, in TALKING WITH ARTISTS, there is a glossary of art terms and a list of books by each artist noted in Pat Cummings book.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
TALKING WITH ARTISTS is an informal and well-written
book about artists / illustrators who love their craft. This book gives a glimpse into their lives and their love for their profession. This book reveals the artists life-long passionate odyssey of their love of art from childhood to adulthood and how they became successful artists.

The autobiographies in this book are interesting, entertaining, and inspiring for children who want to become artists. Young children will revel as the artists share their medium, styles and techniques. For example,
Lois Ehlert explains, “The art technique I use is called
collage: cut pieces of paper glued to a backing.
Sometimes I paint white paper with watercolors and cut it up, and sometimes I use paper with just one tone.
I usually make a dummy with just pencil drawings to show what I want to illustrate on each page. Then I start looking at my subject matter” (Cummings 1992, p. 40). Children will overwhelmingly make a connection with one or more of the artists in this book. Young children in grades three through eight will be engaged and motivated by the
illustrations and the lives of each artist.

The photographs and the illustrations in this book are appealing to young audiences. The varied techniques, styles, and medium utilized by the artists will keep young children interested and entertained.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal: “Young artists will learn a lot; teachers and other children will also love it. Well designed and well conceived, this book will be welcomed in all those classrooms in which children’s literature has become central to the curriculum.”
The Horn Book: “An inspired concept, executed with class.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*During art study, focus on an illustrator from the book and employ his / her artistic media. Teach students the different artistic styles that are rendered by the illustrators in TALKING WITH ARTISTS.
*Each month have a book of one of the artist from the book.
*During creative writing, allow students to write, illustrate, and publish their own children’s book.
*For more ideas and activities look at this web site: http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/bookzone/content/default.mspx
*Other books about Children’s books and illustrators:
Cummings, Pat. TALKING WITH ARTISTS. Vol. ll. ISBN 0-689-80310-9
Cummings, Pat. TALKING WITH ARTISTS. Vol. III. ISBN 0-395-89132-9