Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations make my heart quicken. This is yet another book illustrated by her that I have fallen in love with. The lines she draws sing to me. They harmonize along with the story told by Amy Novensky about Louise Bourgeois.
I am pulled into the artists journey through her childhood to adulthood and eventually the sculptures that she would create.
This book evokes her in full spirit. The combination of story & quotes; the colors & lines that mimic Louise's own work.

I am inspired.

[bc:Jane, the Fox, and Me|17214302|Jane, the Fox, and Me|Fanny Britt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361785734s/17214302.jpg|23697965]
[bc:Virginia Wolf|29812461|Virginia Wolf|Isabelle Arsenault & Kyo Maclear|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1459935723s/29812461.jpg|50181261]
[bc:Once Upon a Northern Night|17214300|Once Upon a Northern Night|Jean E. Pendziwol|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365127956s/17214300.jpg|23697963]
[bc:My Letter to the World and Other Poems|4293624|My Letter to the World and Other Poems|Emily Dickinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396839952s/4293624.jpg|4341206] ( )

Contemporary artist Louise Bourgeois grew up looking up to her mother. Her unique mind immediately seemed to make the connection of her mother, a women who would weave tapestries to spiders weaving their webs. Unlike many people, Louise was clearly unafraid of spiders and actually saw the beauty within their character. She depicted this into her art for many years to come. "Cloth Lullaby" was such a gentle read, from the writing to the illustrations. The words were excellently woven together and the watercolor illustrations were unlike anything I have every seen before. ( )

This book tells the story of the French artist Louise Bourgeois. Louise's mother repaired tapestries for a living, and Louise was inspired by this. She learned how to help the family business. When Louise's mother died, she quit studying math and the stars and focused on creating art. Some of Louise's most famous works are sculptures she made that look like giant spiders; she says that they remind her of her mother's tapestries. Later in life, she made cloth drawings and cloth books. She made a cloth lullaby with all of her childhood memories woven into it before she died. This was a good book, and I learned a lot about an artist I had not heard of before. However, what really stood out was the illustrations. The limited color palette of reds, creams, and blues was really powerful. The lines and colors used reflect the woven threads in the tapestries Louise grew up repairing. The drawings are whimsical and have a lot of hidden details that go along well with the text. ( )

The first thing you may notice about this book is the gorgeous illustrative style in a restricted color palette of intense dark blues, watery reds and etched blacks and greys. The description of Louise Bourgeois' childhood reads like magical fiction, leaving the mature reader with a desire to know more about her extraordinary life. For a young reader, the idea of such a childhood could open doors of possibility, fantasy and form a foundation for the 'art or craft' conversation. This book could be used as an intro to a weaving or textile activity, a writing activity or from an Arts Therapy approach, as she turns her grief into art, using the skills endowed to her by her rich family tradition. Well researched and a good first example for young writers on how to cite your sources quoted. ( )

A gentle biography about the artist Louise Bourgeois. She expressed her life memories through her art. She made a "cloth lullaby" using clothing and fabrics from her childhood. The illustrations went very well with the story, they were colorful, calm and gentle. ( )