Deep Blues: Bill Traylor, Self-taught artist

By: Mary E. Lyons

Genre: Biography Nonfiction

Age Range: 3rd-6th. An easy read for fluent readers but not challenging enough for older readers.

Content: The story of Bill Traylor, a former slave with no formal art training. Contains photos of him, his work, and some depicting what life was like back then. The end of the book contains an index and a sources list for those who would like to learn more.

Organization: It begins with Bill's childhood going to the time he passed all throughout showing various painting and drawings that are related to those events.

Ilusstrations: Bill Traylor's works of art, photos of himself, and various photos showing what life was like. Photo credit given in captions.

Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush

By: Beverly Gherman

Genre: Biography Nonfiction

Age Range: 4th- 6th. The reading isn't difficult but it is lengthy and younger readers may have difficulty paying attention or remaining interested.

Content: Story of Norman Rockwell and how he became an artist. The back of the book contains a bibliography and an index for all his paintings.

Organization: It begins in Norman Rockwell's childhood and explains how became interested in drawing. From there describing the different events that influenced his art, his family life, and how they all tied together.

Illustrations. Norman Rockwell's paintings and photographs of his family and himself.

Seeing the Circle

By: Joseph Bruchac

Genre: Biography non-fiction

Age Range: K - 2nd. Easy read with short simple sentences and little writing on each page.

Content: A short story of Joseph Bruchac and how he became a storyteller and writer.

Organization: It begins with Joseph Bruchac explaining his daily activities, then his Native American heritage, his childhood and how these events influenced him to become a storyteller and writer.

Illustrations by: John Christopher Fine. Photographs of Joseph Bruchac doing daily activities.

Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy

By: Andrea D. Pinkney

Genre: Biography Nonfiction

Age Range: 2nd - 4th. Easy read with clear text. Little writing on each page.

Content: The story of Bill Pickett and how he became famous for "bull-dogging". At the back of the book more information about black cowboys is given. A list of books relating to cowboys and Bill Pickett is also given.

Organization: Starts from Bill's childhood and ends with his elder years. It tells of how he began bull-dogging, his family, and how famous he became because of his fearlessness.

Illustrations by: Brian Pinkney. Drawing Materials.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkings

By: Barbara Kelley

Genre: Biography

Age Range: 2nd - 4th. This can be used as an introduction to discussing dinosaurs and the process of trying to figure out what they look like. Also good for independent readers.

Content: This book is for children to peer into the life of the first man to construct enormous models of dinosaurs and how he did it. It shows his process of making models but also his reasons why he believed they looked like how he modeled them. It also shows what he went through in order to make his dream a reality.

Organization: Information is clearly presented appropriately for the audience in order from beginning to end. References are at the back of the book along with a glossary.

Illustrations: By Brain Selznick. Mixed media with pencil drawings, charcoal or chalk, and possible computer generation. They clarify what the author is writing and a re separate from the text allowing clear focus on each.