Lee, Chiquita Mullins, and Carmella Van Vleet. You Gotta Meet Mr. Pierce: The Storied Life of Folk Artist Elijah Pierce. Illustrated by Jennifer Mack-Watkins. Kokila, 2023. 978-0-593-40650-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 1-3.

This fascinating picture book is a fictionalized account of the life of the African American folk artist Elijah Pierce. Born in Mississippi, Elijah was given a penknife as a young boy, which he used to whittle wood from a forest, creating animal figures or “…anything that came to mind….” Pierce learned the barbering trade and opened a barber shop in Columbus, but his passion for the wood arts remained with him his whole life. In this story, a boy comes into the barbershop with his dad, who tells him, “You gotta meet Mr. Pierce.” The barber-artist displays all his artistic creations in his shop and proceeds to show them to the boy after his haircut. Some are carved sculptures of a tiger and lion. Others are wall art like The Place of My Birth (1977), a carved and painted relief of a log cabin. Others depict stories from Pierce’s personal life, such as when he was falsely accused and accosted by an angry mob. Also displayed is what many call his masterpiece, The Book of Wood, created in 1932. Mr. Pierce carved Bible Stories on wooden panels, painted them and pasted them on cardboard to make a book. The unnamed boy, who was unsure of what to draw with the colored pencils from his mother, is now inspired to turn his own stories into art like his mentor. The artwork here is stunning. Mack-Watkins uses mokuhanga printmaking techniques and mixed media collages to create her drawings. The colors of the printed images are bold and vibrant and the observant reader will be able to pick out actual photos of a few animal carvings and of the artist’s family done as an overlay on the busy pages. The illustrator has truly captured the heart and  soul of this underrecognized African American’s talent. There is an author’s note that provides more details of Elijah’s life and an artist’s note that explains her techniques and preparation. Also included in the back is a gallery of Pierce’s art with titles and dates and a list of museums displaying his art.

THOUGHTS: This book is highly recommended for all elementary collections. Children will enjoy examining the images for the small details of the Caldecott quality art. This story could be paired with Bryant’s A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin to do a compare and contrast activity of the two African American folk artists.

Picture Book
Historical Fiction