Tag Archives: Light

Elem. – An Abundance of Light: A Story of Matisse in Morocco

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Stringer, Lauren. An Abundance of Light: A Story of Matisse in Morocco. Beach Lane Books, 2025. 978-1-534-49362-9. $19.99. Unpaged. Grades 3-6. 

To convey the mood, author and illustrator Lauren Stringer introduces this homage to Henri Matisse with black and white illustrations, showing his lack of inspiration. When Matisse encounters the captivating and colorful culture of Morocco, the double-spread wide drawings become vibrant and reflect Matisse’s experiences there. The well-known French painter has an epiphany about shadow and light: “Light and dark became colors bright and bold!” Flashbacks to his childhood provide biographical glimpses. Familiar contemporaries of Matisse are mentioned like Gertrude Stein and Albert Marquet, as well as Moroccan landmarks and figures who sat for his paintings. Stringer takes care to imitate Matisse’s style and noting the people he met and places he visited in Morocco. Even the endpages act as a sort of illustrated glossary with Moroccan words in Moroccan and English with definitions.  Show this book to the art teacher or students interested in drawing. They gain several  insights: an artistic concept of shadow and light; knowledge of a time in Matisse’s life; a view of a different culture. Though it may serve only a niche group, consider purchasing if you have a school community of different ethnicities or one where STEAM is an important part of the curriculum. End notes include a brief biography of Matisse and some paragraphs about his time in Tangier.

THOUGHTS: This picture book is beautifully illustrated and tells a lot about Matisse concisely. It can be used for an art or geography lesson. It may need to get shelf talked at other times, though, to bring it to young students’ attention.

Picture Book  
Biography

Elem. – Mole in a Black & White Hole

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Sediva, Tereza. Mole in a Black & White Hole. Thames & Hudson, 2021. 978-0-500-65205-3. Unpaged. $16.95. PreK-1.

Mole lives alone in a dark, damp, underground hole. His only friend is a bright pink chandelier that hangs from the ceiling (which readers can see is actually a root vegetable). Chandelier tries to persuade Mole to come to the surface, where there is sunshine and lots of color and life to be found, but Mole isn’t so sure. One day, Mole awakens to a warm sunbeam on his cheek and realizes that Chandelier is gone! Mole is very upset, but remembers what Chandelier told him about the world above. He finally finds the courage to climb up through the hole and explore, and what he finds changes his whole outlook on life. Unique illustrations consist of horizontal two-page spreads that show a distinct division between the black and white underground and the colorful aboveground. This uplifting story about finding the beauty in things is sure to stir something in all readers.

THOUGHTS: I love the subtle message conveyed by this story about optimism, determination, and intentionality. In the words of Chandelier, “There is so much color and so much life to be found. But to find it, you must search for it.”

Picture Book           Julie Ritter, PSLA Member