The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life

Ehlert employs her signature collage technique and images from her past work to explore her lifelong relationship with creating art in this open and encouraging picture-book memoir. The journey begins with Ehlert's early creative inklings ("I thought maybe someday I could make a book"), accompanied by family photos, images of the tools she uses today--including pinking shears, paintbrushes, a cheese grater--and a glimpse of her vibrant studio space. She shares thoughts on her varied sources of inspiration ("When a squirrel slipped into my house, a book idea walked right up to me!" she writes about Nuts to You!) and illustrates how those ideas are translated to the page via dummy sketches and finished collages, with hand-lettered captions providing context and detail. In case readers get the itch to join in, Ehlert also offers instructions for such crafty projects as a bird feeder and a cat mask. It's an inviting inside look at Ehlert's extensive backlist and how the books were made, with nearly every page making it clear to readers that this kind of creation is well within their reach. Ages 5-10. (Mar.)

Gr 2-5--Ehlert continues to enchant children with her inventive picture books. In this charming autobiography, she gives readers a fascinating glimpse into her creative process and her considerable talents as both an author and an illustrator are on full display. When discussing the fact that a career doesn't happen immediately, she states, "Everyone needs time to develop their dreams. An egg in the nest doesn't become a bird overnight." Each and every page pops with her signature collages as she gives examples of her various techniques. "I use odd items to create texture. I splatter paint with a toothbrush or rub a crayon over my grater." This book will attract browsers, thrill children who already love her work, be the perfect complement to an author/illustrator study, and is a stellar introduction to graphic design at its finest. A small masterpiece that is a delight for the eye and ear.--Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ