A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

A SPLASH OF RED: THE LIFE AND ART OF HORACE PIPPIN BY JEN BRYANT, ILLUSTRATED BY MELISSA SWEET (Random House, 2013)

Horace Pippin was a self-taught African American painter who worked around the time of WWI. Serving in France during the war, he was wounded in such a way that his right arm was relatively useless. Upon returning home he turned to other jobs but nothing fulfilled him the way painting did. By training his left arm to support his right arm, he was able to pick up painting where he left off. The famous painter, N.C, Wyeth, saw Pippin’s paintings and arranged for him to show his work. Pippin’s determination paid off and his primitive paintings are considered American classics. The prose is lovely and Sweet’s illustrations are superb. The back matter tells much about Pippin’s life, his painting style, and where his work can be seen. This is a lovely picture book biography of an artist whose story will inspire children ages 7-10.