Book Descriptions
for Between the Lines by Sandra Neil Wallace and Bryan Collier
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Ernie Barnes loved to draw as a child, and that love never went away, even when he was given a full football scholarship to college and later drafted by the American Football League. Ernie brought his sketchbook to practice, stashed in his sock, and pulled it out to make notes and sketches. He began painting what he saw on the football field and eventually he transformed his art work into his career. He began by negotiating a job painting for the American Football League but his work and his reputation soon went far beyond football as the expressive movement of the human form he had perfected in sports was applied to paintings of ordinary people. (Many adult readers will recognize his work from the popular 1970s sitcom Good Times.) An extensive author’s note at the end includes several photos of Ernie Barnes’s artwork, showing the progression of his style over time in this fascinating portrait. (Ages 7–11)
CCBC Choices 2019. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2019. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
“A visually striking, enlightening picture-book biography.” —Booklist (starred review)
“An absolutely indispensable illustrated biography.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“A well-sourced, stirringly told account of an artist.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“For sports fans and budding artists alike...a well-told, artfully illustrated story.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A 2019 Orbis Pictus Book Award Winner * An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book * A SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Book Award * A Booklist Top 10 Biographies for Youth * A Booklist Top 10 Art Books for Youth * A New York Public Library (NYPL) Best Book for Kids * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
Discover the remarkable true story of NFL star Ernie Barnes—a boy who followed his dreams and became one of the most influential artists of his generation—with this beautiful and fascinating nonfiction picture book illustrated by four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier.
“An artist paints his own reality.” —Ernie Barnes
Ernie Barnes was an NFL football player who longed to make art. Finally his dream came true.
When Ernie Barnes was growing up in North Carolina in the 1940s, he loved to draw. Even when he played as a boy with his friends he drew with a stick in the mud. And he never left home without a sketchbook. He would draw families walking home from church, or the old man on the sofa. He drew what he saw.
But in the segregated south, Ernie didn’t know how to make a living as an artist. Ernie grew tall and athletic and became a football star. Soon enough the colleges came calling. Still, in his heart Ernie longed to paint. Would that day ever come?
Ernie Barnes was one of the most important artists of his time known for his style of elongation and movement. His work has influenced a generation of painters and illustrators and can be found in museums and collections, such as the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the California African American Museum.
Between the Lines is a story of inspiration, spirit, and of an American original who pursued his dream. This enchanting picture book includes pieces of artwork created by this little known artist who captured the truth and beauty of the world he saw around him.
“An absolutely indispensable illustrated biography.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“A well-sourced, stirringly told account of an artist.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“For sports fans and budding artists alike...a well-told, artfully illustrated story.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A 2019 Orbis Pictus Book Award Winner * An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book * A SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Book Award * A Booklist Top 10 Biographies for Youth * A Booklist Top 10 Art Books for Youth * A New York Public Library (NYPL) Best Book for Kids * A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
Discover the remarkable true story of NFL star Ernie Barnes—a boy who followed his dreams and became one of the most influential artists of his generation—with this beautiful and fascinating nonfiction picture book illustrated by four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier.
“An artist paints his own reality.” —Ernie Barnes
Ernie Barnes was an NFL football player who longed to make art. Finally his dream came true.
When Ernie Barnes was growing up in North Carolina in the 1940s, he loved to draw. Even when he played as a boy with his friends he drew with a stick in the mud. And he never left home without a sketchbook. He would draw families walking home from church, or the old man on the sofa. He drew what he saw.
But in the segregated south, Ernie didn’t know how to make a living as an artist. Ernie grew tall and athletic and became a football star. Soon enough the colleges came calling. Still, in his heart Ernie longed to paint. Would that day ever come?
Ernie Barnes was one of the most important artists of his time known for his style of elongation and movement. His work has influenced a generation of painters and illustrators and can be found in museums and collections, such as the African American Museum in Philadelphia and the California African American Museum.
Between the Lines is a story of inspiration, spirit, and of an American original who pursued his dream. This enchanting picture book includes pieces of artwork created by this little known artist who captured the truth and beauty of the world he saw around him.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
