Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas

by Jeanne Walker Harvey (Author) Loveis Wise (Illustrator)

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas.

Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as one of the most preeminent painters of the 20th century. Told from the point of view of young Alma Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.

As a child in Georgia, Alma Thomas loved to spend time outside, soaking up the colors around her. And her parents filled their home with color and creativity despite the racial injustices they faced. After the family moved to Washington DC, Alma shared her passion for art by teaching children. When she was almost seventy years old, she focused on her own artwork, inspired by nature and space travel.

In this celebration of art and the power of imagination, Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise tell the incredible true story of Alma Thomas, the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City and to have her work chosen for the White House collection. With her bold and vibrant abstract paintings, Alma set the world ablaze with color.

Ablaze with Color includes extensive backmatter with photos, an author's and illustrator's note, a timeline, and a list of sources and resources, which will be a great tool for parents, educators, and librarians. Perfect for Women's History Month and Black History Month units alongside such favorites as Malala's Magic Pencil, Hidden Figures, and Mae Among the Stars.

Jeanne Walker Harvey is a long-time docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Art, home of one of Alma's most famous paintings, "Cumulus," so this is a subject matter she's extremely passionate about. She is also the author of the acclaimed Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines.

Loveis Wise illustrated Ibi Zoboi's picture book debut, The People Remember. Outside the book world, they are known for their New Yorker magazine covers and their Google Doodle for Black History Month, among other projects. In this book, their work layers textures and patterns seamlessly and uses bold, vibrant colors to bring Alma's story to life in a perfect homage to Alma Thomas's colorful, abstract artwork.

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Uplifting with hope and ablaze with joyous colors!

Publishers Weekly

This bright profile centers Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978), who broke ground as the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at New York City's Whitney Museum and to have artwork displayed in the White House. Harvey employs a poetic voice, rich with alliteration and rhythm, as the narrative follows Thomas through a creative childhood ("Her aunts painted petals and patterns, / and Alma dipped her brush in tiny pots"); a move from Georgia to Washington, D.C.; years teaching art in segregated schools; an eventual shift to focus on her own art at almost 70 years old; and resulting accomplishments. Wise's fluid digital art employs vivid strokes, patterns, colors, and reproductions that pay winning homage to Thomas in this comprehensive biography of a celebrated, trailblazing 20th-century painter. Back matter includes creators' notes, photographs, and a timeline of Alma's life alongside events in the U.S. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Jeanne Walker Harvey
Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of several picture books, including Boats on the Bay, as well as the well-received picture book biographies Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. She lives in Sonoma, California. Melodie Stacey is a fine artist and illustrator whose work can be found in the picture book Beautiful Useful Things. She lives in Brighton, United Kingdom.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780063021891
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
February 22, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Art
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF006050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Art | Painting
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
Library of Congress categories
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