September 15, 2023
A self-taught painter championed the working class through his art. Ralph Fasanella (1914-1997) was born in New York City, the son of poor Italian immigrants. His father was an ice-delivery man, and his mother, who worked in a dress factory, spoke passionately about workers' rights and labor unions. Ralph frequently skipped school, teaching himself to read from newspapers. At age 10, owing to truancy and troublemaking, Ralph was sent to a Catholic reform school, where he remained sporadically for four years. Thereafter, he worked at various jobs and became deeply involved in the union movement. At age 31, his hands began hurting--possibly from arthritis--and a friend suggested he try drawing to alleviate the pain. Ralph taught himself to draw and paint, visiting museums to study the work of master artists. He painted laborers, street scenes, and American historic events, using vivid, jewel-like colors and filling large canvases with small, rich details, encouraging viewers to savor them and catch every nuance. Eventually, Ralph's paintings were exhibited in major U.S. museums. This well-written, sympathetic account rightfully shines a light on a major artist who merits wider recognition. The illustrations employ striking, vibrant colors and attention to minute details, masterfully emulating Fasanella's own style. Readers will enjoy poring over them, in addition to the several included reproductions of Fasanella's paintings. A very fine introduction to the life and work of a significant American craftsman. (more about Ralph, timeline, seeing American history through Fasanella's paintings, for further reading, bibliography, source notes) (Informational picture book. 6-10)
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Starred review from September 25, 2023
A child of Italian immigrants, self-taught painter Ralph Fasanella (1914–1997) grew up to celebrate laborers in his art, as described in a telling that distills formative moments into an overview of his life and work. Spending childhood in a New York City tenement building, he pictured stories told by his mother, a dress factory worker who regularly discussed unions and workers’ rights. Later, as a Depression-era teen, Fasanella worked in garment factories and as an ice deliveryman, joining a union before going to work for one. At age 31, to lessen pain in his hands, he began drawing, then painting, learning about art by visiting museums. Hoping to reach even more working-class people through his paintings, he quit his job and, in time, became famous for his politically themed work. Broyles details Ralph’s life via an engaging narrative of the intersection between art and organizing, while Tentler-Krylov’s closely worked, watercolor-textured illustrations echo the artist’s own detailed style. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 4–8.
Starred review from September 1, 2023
In this engaging and child-friendly overview of Fasanella's (1914-1997) life and evolution as a self-taught, working-class artist, Broyles highlights the man's "rambunctious," resilient, and independent nature, even as a child. His hard-working Italian immigrant parents had limited resources and a large family to care for. As a boy, Fasanella accompanied his father as he delivered blocks of ice through the tenements of New York City. He listened to his factory-worker mother as she shared her strong beliefs about unionizing to improve working conditions. He was in and out of a Catholic reform school and worked odd jobs throughout the Great Depression before joining a union and learning to paint in his early thirties. He honed his craft and found his voice in his visual representations of family, baseball, and daily existence. He also documented momentous events (the March on Washington, the Kennedy assassination) and their impact on Americans, saying that "any good painting is a social statement" and that "art and politics can't be separated." Tentler-Krylov's dynamic watercolors bring her subject to life in small vignettes at various stages of the times and also place him in boldly colored, expansive scenes that pay homage to Fasanella's distinctive style. Well-researched back matter includes a timeline of events that are referenced in Fasanella's paintings, numerous reprints, and a listing of where to see more of the artist's work. A perfect companion to Levinson's The People's Painter (rev. 7/21), a picture-book biography of Ben Shahn. Luann Toth
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
October 15, 2023
Grades 1-3 Here, complex, busy illustrations perfectly capture the exuberant work of New York City folk artist and labor organizer Ralph Fasanella. Self-taught, Fasanella only began to draw and paint as an adult, exploring his experience growing up in the 1910s and '20s as well as the labor of his parents and other early union members of the last century. Readers will appreciate how the artist didn't let a lack of formal training hold him back any more than he let a hit-and-miss early education keep him from enthusiastically throwing himself into a number of experiences, like participating in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade's fight against fascism during Spain's civil war. His works strove to tell stories of national events that students of history will recognize: strikes, civil rights marches, and more, and this picture-book biography captures Fasanella's energy as his long strides sweep across the pages. Rounding things out are samples of Fasanella's art, pertinent photos, a time line, and more. A good bet for all collections, and especially of interest as a suitable read for Labor Day.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from December 1, 2023
K-Gr 4-If children today could imagine a 20th-century Dickensian character who taught himself to read, went to reform school for a few years, and performed back-breaking labors until he was in his 30s, they'd come close to understanding Ralph Fasanella's story. That's when he taught himself to paint, and with the support of family members, that's how he spent the rest of his days. That his works ended up in union halls, the Smithsonian, and other exalted galleries was almost a problem for him; he believed his art, about working people, unacceptable wages, crowded working conditions, and other social justice issues he'd been aware of since childhood, was meant to be viewed by people like him. The storytelling, though dense, is compelling and breezy; Tentler-Krylov's illustrations bind this work to Fasanella's, taking from his art the vivacious colors, detail work, and a sense of city scenes that are worth revisiting again and again. Among the back matter is not only further reading, bibliography, time line, and source notes but also several of Fasanella's vibrant, intricately detailed paintings. Despite the brightest of colors, every one of them includes a social statement, something Fasanella believed could not be separated from art. VERDICT For readers ready to be plunked into the underbelly of the 20th century and then uplifted by one painter's take on its myriad social issues and politics, this is a grand start; this book could be the linchpin for an upper-elementary or even middle school class on the rise of labor unions, factory reforms, and other important movements that have not yet disappeared.-Kimberly Olson Fakih
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2024
In this engaging and child-friendly overview of Fasanella's (1914-1997) life and evolution as a self-taught, working-class artist, Broyles highlights the man's "rambunctious," resilient, and independent nature, even as a child. His hard-working Italian immigrant parents had limited resources and a large family to care for. As a boy, Fasanella accompanied his father as he delivered blocks of ice through the tenements of New York City. He listened to his factory-worker mother as she shared her strong beliefs about unionizing to improve working conditions. He was in and out of a Catholic reform school and worked odd jobs throughout the Great Depression before joining a union and learning to paint in his early thirties. He honed his craft and found his voice in his visual representations of family, baseball, and daily existence. He also documented momentous events (the March on Washington, the Kennedy assassination) and their impact on Americans, saying that "any good painting is a social statement" and that "art and politics can't be separated." Tentler-Krylov's dynamic watercolors bring her subject to life in small vignettes at various stages of the times and also place him in boldly colored, expansive scenes that pay homage to Fasanella's distinctive style. Well-researched back matter includes a timeline of events that are referenced in Fasanella's paintings, numerous reprints, and a listing of where to see more of the artist's work. A perfect companion to Levinson's The People's Painter (rev. 7/21), a picture-book biography of Ben Shahn.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)