| Georgia's Bones |
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written by Jen Bryant
illustrated by Bethanne Andersen
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
ISBN 978-0802852175 (Hardcover), 2005
ISBN 978-0802853677 (Paperback), 2010 |
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As a child, shapes often drifted
in and out of Georgia’s mind.
Curved and straight,
round or square,
she studied them,
and let them disappear.
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| Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, Georgia began gathering all sorts of objects — sticks and stones, flowers and bones. Although she was teased for her interest in unique shapes and sizes, young Georgia declared: “Someday, I’m going to be an artist” — and that is exactly what she became. |
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| Jen Bryant’s story of Georgia O’Keeffe celebrates the famous artist’s fascination with natural shapes, “common objects,” and her unusual way of looking at the world. Bethanne Andersen’s fluid, graceful illustrations capture the beauty of O’Keeffe’s work and spirit. |
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| Resources |
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| Discussion Guide |
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| Word Pairs activity from Mentor Texts |
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| Honors and Recognition |
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| Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Books 2006 |
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| Southwest Books of the Year 2005, Tucson/Pima Public Library |
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| Reviews |
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| This lyrical appreciation follows the widely known arc of Georgia O’Keeffe’s biography and introduces key aspects of her sensibility, including her rugged self-sufficiency and her preoccupation with “shapes and spaces.” … This bold, beautiful rendition has a certain nonconformist flair that surely would have earned O’Keeffe’s stamp of approval. (Booklist) |
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| This spare narrative follows [Georgia O’Keeffe’s] creative growth from her childhood to her vision-changing encounter with the New Mexico landscape. The quietly lyrical text focuses especially on O’Keeffe’s fascination with shape, from the roundness of doughnut holes to square city windows, from the spiral of seashells to the organic irregularity of animal bones … The illustrations manage to convey the drama of O’Keeffe’s subjects as well as the vistas that surrounded her. Useful for introducing youngsters to the notion of artistic vision. (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books) |
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| Bryant’s lyrical text serves as a gentle introduction to a remarkable artist … Andersen is sensitive to O’Keeffe’s style and subject matter, foreshadowing some of her famous paintings in scenes throughout the book … A fine first look at O’Keeffe. (School Library Journal) |
