Awards

• Short-listed for Black-Eyed Susan Award (Picture Book) 1997

Overview

In this extraordinarily bold and colorful new picture book, a young boy discovers he can make art from an old coal scuttle, and, with the encouragement of family and friends, grows up to be an artist!

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9780938420552

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Reviews

Through a first-person narration created by Murphy, Miller explains how be took a discarded and useless old household fixture and painted it with 'eyes and claws and feathers, ' turning the coal scuttle of the title into a bird... Fun to look at, fun to play with, a fine addition to the growing list of books for children that describe art as a viable and important career choice.

Miller, who paints in a bold cubist style he calls 'Afro Deco,' uses his exuberant paintings to illustrate the story of his coming of age as an artist in Baltimore. Surrounded by affection in a visually stimulating environment, the young Miller cavorts through a joyful world of primary-colored objects and multi-hued relatives and neighbors. Conflicts are hinted at in the artist's fleeting unease at entering an all-white art school, but Miller's path leads fairly smoothly to success in realizing a unique artistic vision while maintaining close ties to his cultural roots. Unfortunately Murphy's narrative, while easily understood, lacks the freewheeling inventiveness of Miller's vivacious, slyly patterned paintings. Still, the spirit of the artist-and the idea that 'hope, love, hard work and lots of color' can accomplish miracles-comes through. Publishers Weekly Baltimore native Tom Miller is a nationally known artist. Here, Miller illustrates his life story and emphasizes the message of the possibilities of life. Miller loved color from the time he was very young, and his Baltimore neighborhood was full of sights and sounds and laughter. His first project was painting a coal scuttle and making it look like a bird. Later, he went to art school and then taught art, always telling his students that 'anything is possible when you are true to your colors and true to yourself.' Miller is certainly true to his colors: his artwork is bold and imaginative and executed in a style he calls Afro Deco. Kids will respond to both the freewheeling shapes and the positive message. As much an art book as a biography. Booklist

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