I am an Artist by Kertu Sillaste – Book Review
I am an Artist by Kertu Sillaste – Book Review
I am an Artist
Author – Kertu Sillaste
Publisher – Graffeg Limited
Pages – 36
Released – 19th August 2021
ISBN-13 – 978-1914079634
Format – paperback
Rating – 4 Stars
I received a free copy of this book.
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Synopsis
What is an artist? Sometimes John finds art easy, sometimes it’s hard, sometimes art is like a game, but sometimes it’s a puzzle. This book takes us through the many ups and downs of John’s life as an artist whilst also showing the fun that can be had with many different artforms, including drawing, sculpture, painting, photography and many more.
Being an artist is about being brave, frustrated and disappointed. But it’s also about being creative, imaginative, excited and fulfilled – which makes it a wonderful thing for all children to say with confidence…I am an ARTIST!
Originally published in Estonian, this book has been expertly translated by Adam Cullen.
Review by Stacey
I am an Artist is a children’s book about an artist called John who explains what it is to be an artist. Where his ideas come from, what he thinks about before creating a new piece, how sometimes pieces come naturally to him and others take him lots of attempts and are still not right. John not only draws, he also paints and builds sculptures too.
Throughout the book, it becomes clear that the story is about showing children that art is how you interpret it. You don’t have to be good at it, it can be amazing paintings or unusual models created using anything you can get your hands on. Art is personal and comes from within.
The plot intrigued me, especially as I’m not an art lover, unfortunately. The illustrations captured John’s life perfectly, they also contain photos of real art pieces (plus their titles), which I presume were created by the author, this certainly gave the book an added layer of enjoyment. My favourite piece of art was a drawing called ‘Hunter Moose’ which showed a Moose hunting a person, this amused me.
I am an Artist is a book that would be perfect for those children who enjoy art or who have a very creative side to them. It will educate them that art is not just one thing, it can be anything they want it to be.
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Kertu Sillaste is an illustrator, art teacher, and picture book author. She graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in textile design, studied tapestry at the École Supérieure des Arts Appliqués Duperré in Paris, and received a master’s degree in art education at Tallinn University.
Sillaste has worked as a graphic designer at the Tallinn Central Library, and currently teaches art at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre. She has written five books, illustrated 16 works, and is a long-time collaborator with the children’s magazine Täheke. Sillaste was listed in the 2016 White Ravens catalogue and was a candidate for the 2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
