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
