We Are Artists: Women Who Made Their Mark on the World

Including names familiar—Kahlo, Kusama—and less widely known—Ashevak, Kngwarreye, Sher-Gil—this engaging introduction to the art and lives of 15 women active in the 20th century spans cultures, continents, and mediums. Each artist is given a dedicated chapter, marked by Herbert’s colorful portraits. A single page of fiction sets the scene—“It was the first time she had... seen paper from the outside world. ‘It’s as thin as a shell from a snowbird’s egg,’ she thought”—segueing into a short biography punctuated with Herbert’s pictures and artists’ reproductions. The clear, informative prose is sensitive and forthright about challenges the women faced: “Back in 1950s Finland, for a woman to love another woman was illegal. But on the islands... they could live and love as they wanted.” Page by page, these stories coalesce into a rich portrait showing women around the world making art against the odds. Ages 9–12. (Sept.)