Pablo Picasso

JUST BEHAVE, PABLO PICASSO! by Jonah Winter with illustrations by Kevin Hawkes (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic 2012) is a perfect example of narrative nonfiction. Here is a biography of gifted artist Picasso from his childhood as a prodigy to his adulthood where he was both lauded at first and later decried when critics failed to see Picasso's vision. Hawkes' illustrations are rather cinematic, serving to draw readers into the text and the illustrations (and sometimes, the text is part of the illustration). Picasso is fresh faced and larger than life in some double page spreads. In others, he appears arrogant, determined, and ultimately serene. An afterword discusses Cubism and other aspects of Picasso's art. Hawkes manages to work some of Picasso's masterpieces into the illustrations as well. A good pairing might be one of the books in the series "WHAT MAKES A ____ A ___________?" (what makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh?). <195>