We recently came across two biographical picture books at the library that each describe the career of a successful cartoonist who faced familial opposition. You might enjoy them too.
Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson, illustrated by Robert Neubecker (Beach lane Books, 2019)
No doubt you’ve heard of a Rube Goldberg machine, a contraption that works through a chain reaction to accomplish a simple task in a complicated way. Did you know that Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) was not an inventor but a cartoonist? He loved to draw from an early age but to please his father he studied engineering and got a job with the City of San Francisco Department of Water and Sewers. That didn’t last long; soon he was pursuing his dream of working for a newspaper, first in San Francisco and then in New York City. He quickly became famous for his cartoons, especially his complicated contraptions. “Rube Goldberg didn’t draw machines that solved real-world problems. He drew comics to make us look closer. And question logic. And tickle the imagination.” This book tells the story of Goldberg’s life and ends with more biographical information and a list of sources. The playful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the text. You’ll especially love the reproductions of his cartoon machines on the end papers, with titles like “The Only Sanitary Way to Lick a Postage Stamp” (involves an onion and a turtle!) and “Only Known Way of Attracting a Waiter’s Attention” (involves firecrackers and a squirrel!). Recommended for ages 5 to 10.
Drawing from Memory by Allen Say (Scholastic, 2011)
Drawing from Memory is a graphic memoir by Allen Say (b. 1937), a Japanese-American cartoonist. With photographs, colour illustrations, and various drawings that he did in the past, Say tells the story of his life from growing up during World War II to getting his own apartment at age 12 to reuniting with his estranged father to accompany him to America. Say focuses especially on his relationship with his “spiritual father” Noro Shinpei, Japan’s leading cartoonist who took him on as an apprentice. It was fascinating to learn about Say’s lifestyle, his art lessons, and his relationships with friends and family. I enjoyed his style of illustrations and how they depict Japanese culture. The author’s note tells more about Shinpei with additional photographs. Recommended for ages 9 to 12. (I previously reviewed Say’s picture book Grandfather’s Journey.)