Mattise Dance for Joy

Susan Goldman Rubin
Nonfiction Board Book
For ages 1 to 3
Chronicle Books, 2008   ISBN: 978-0811862882

Late in his life Matisse the artist began to create pictures using pieces of colored paper. His collages burst with color and energy, and for this book Susan Goldman Rubin captures that energy with a few simple words and well-chosen examples of Matisse's work.

The first Matisse image in the book shows a person sitting quietly, but all the following images show people and animals in motion, and the author compliments the pictures with short punchy sentences that are punctuated with action words such as "shimmy," "tumble," and "wiggle."

This is just one in a series of board book titles that Susan Goldman Rubin has written. Each one focuses on the work of an artist, and each one combines wonderful language and art to get effect.

Review Written by Marya Jansen-Gruber