Saturday, March 12, 2016

Say, Allen. The Inker’s Shadow.

Say, Allen.  The Inker’s Shadow.    Scholastic Press  2015  70p  $19.99  ISBN 978-0-545-43776-9  all ages   Picture books  E-BN 

This companion book to Allen Say’s Drawing from Memory continues the story of Say’s life as an “autobiographical novel.”  At sixteen, he leaves Japan to go to America and becomes a student in a military academy run by one of his father’s American friends.  He is expelled for smoking a cigarette and soon talks his way into the local high school as a student.  There he finds wonderful teachers who mentor his talent and abilities.  This captivating book is written as a personal conversation with the reader, and each section of dialogue is highlighted by fascinating watercolors, pen-and-ink sketches, and photographs.  The writing is cohesive, well constructed, and compelling, and the descriptive narrative is filled with vitality and humor.    

Summary: This companion book to Allen Say’s Drawing from Memory continues the story of Say’s life as an “autobiographical novel.”    


Allen Say-Biography                                         --Susan Ogintz

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