Time to Make Art

by Jeff Mack

Does art have to be perfect? Where do you begin? This inspiring picture book about making art doubles as an introduction to the multifaceted and diverse global history of art empowering readers to get creative.

Awed by the endless possibilities, a young girl begins asking meaningful questions about creating art. Her questions are answered by a diverse group of artists throughout time and from the earliest cave painters to the most recent digital illustrators. Rethinking the familiar Western European timeline of art history, this book introduces readers to diverse works from every era and continent in a playful and inspiring way.

Making both art history and art making accessible to all, Time to Make Art nourishes creativity, encouraging young readers to see the artist in themselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Art, Childrens, History, Nonfiction, Storytime, How To

48 pages, Hardcover

Published January 16, 2024

About the author

Born in Syracuse, New York, Jeff Mack has written and illustrated a long list of picture books, chapter books, and early readers, including Clueless McGee, Good News Bad News, Frog and Fly, the Hippo and Rabbit series, and Hush Little Polar Bear.

He has also illustrated many books for other authors, including James Howe's Bunnicula and Friends series and Eve Bunting's Hurry! Hurry!, one of School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2007.

At home in Easthampton, Massachusetts, he continues to write, illustrate, and visit schools and libraries to talk about his work. Visit him at www.jeffmack.com.

Bio taken from Jeff's website: http://www.jeffmack.com/short_biograp....
More biographical information can be found at http://www.jeffmack.com/biography.html.

Reviews

[Natalie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Not only does it introduce what art is (hint: anything!), it introduces the reader to many different famous artists. It’s a book full of smiles and possibility!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring and creative response to the question "what is art?" that is sure to upset some haters. Because the answer, made clear page after page, is art is whatever you want it to be. A veritable testament to the power of art and a seek and find of significant artists from the stone age until now, this picture book is so impressive. It covers a diverse range of figures, mediums, talents, all brought together in Jeff Mack's signature illustration style. The artists are unidentified in the text, but a backmatter includes a picture guide and brief biography for all the artists mentioned. A thoughtful jumping off point that will inspire creativity.

[Deborah]

Any illustrator who has ever visited a school is familiar with the kinds of questions children ask about art. They know that *how did you do that?* really means, *can I do that??* or, as Jeff Mack begins in his new book, “When I make art, does it have to be perfect?”

At last, a book about art that speaks to the wonder children have about making it, through questions they might actually ask, here by a child in a beret. Questions posed, like “what if I draw stick figures?” or “What colors should I use?” are answered by real artists, respectively here by an prehistoric artist holding charcoal and Piet Mondrian—though they aren’t identified until the end, in 3 packed pages of back matter so that interested kids can follow their questions further.

At once engaging and sophisticated, TIME TO MAKE ART subtly asks, overall, *what is art?*. I’ll definitely be recommending this one.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl has many questions all relating to the nature of art. For instance, "... does it have to be perfect?" Or "What colors should I use?" Or "Can art be something that I use?" And the real beauty of this inspiring picture book is the questions are answered by a well known artist with a sample of their work. The artists are from all time periods from all over the world. This will be a wonderful book to use before an art project or visiting an art museum or include in a unit introducing art history to preschool and early elementary students.

"And one more question: How will I know when my art is done?"
"You're the artist. It's done when you say it's done!"

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highlighting the myriad ways that we can make art (as well as a famous artist who did it that way) we get an art history lesson as well as inspiration to make our own art. Props for featuring artists from different eras (as well as the present) and from all over the world.

[Y.Poston]

a vibrant and engaging way
to explore art history

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars--As delightful, eclectic, and thought-provoking as art itself! This book introduces artists and art concepts to kids in the most fun and open-ended way possible.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great energy! A lil kid asking questions of all the different ways to make art, answered by many different artists from different eras and places! I loved when I could identify an artist! Micro bios of all of them in the back if you like what you see!

[Lauren Canaday Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little long for some readers, but every page is essential! 10/10

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack is an exploration of all the questions that one may ask about art and creating it. A young girl asks questions of a wide ranging, variety of artists and their works. Some of the artists include, Frida Kahlo, Piet Mondrian, Leonardo di Vinci, and many more. Mack is able to make art history and art creation accessible to the youngest of readers. illustrations for the book were created by collaging all of the hand-painted shapes on the end pages, then drawing on top of them with a computer using Photoshop. Delightfully colorful and exuberant illustrations add whimsy to this engaging story about art, creativity, and the creative process. Back matter includes the artists featured throughout the book. Each artist has an illustration as well as a brief biography. Art teachers will definitely want to share Time to Make Art with their students. Additionally, anyone interested in art will surely find this lovely picture book one to add to their collection. Highly recommended.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the main character in this book asks questions all the way throughout the book. The questions are all questions that we have asked ourselves many times about art. The book is easy to understand and quick to read. I believe that any young reader will enjoy the story as a whole, but I do think that they may need some type of backstory to the artists featured. It is so nice that the author included a few pages at the end of the book to showcase all of the artists featured throughout. The illustrations were made with hand-painted collages with digital details added. It's fun to go through the book just to see how many art pieces/artists you recognize! This book would be great for an Art teacher to use at the beginning of a school year to introduce a variety of new art/artists. This book will help the reader/listener understand that art is whatever YOU make it. Not what someone else perceives to be art. Everyone is different, so everyone has a different style of art that they bring to the craft table. (Diamond 25-26)

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

An engaging tour through the ages, celebrating art from around the world. Follow a young artist as she questions what makes art, how to create it, and how long it takes. Her questions are answered by famous artists throughout history, from Frida Kahlo to the sculptors of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Chris Ofili to the Nazca Lines artists, Eric Carle to Alexandros of Antioch.

I loved the inclusion of more contemporary artists and the span of types of art included. There are painters, sculptors, and photographers who use stone, paint, cut paper, bottlecaps, items from nature, and more to create their art.

Bright, colorful, engaging illustrations. Includes a blurb about each artist and group at the back of the book.

A great book for talking about art and art history and to use as inspiration for creating your own masterpiece.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such the perfect premier for children on the subject of art - specifically on the subject of what art is and what it should do. In this book we take a tour of art history with an inquisitive brown-skinned girl how wants to know more about art, so naturally she asks questions of each artist she encounters! Artist, ranging from ancient to modern, world-famous to regionally known appear and give her simple and profound answers. This book is a surpringly thorough and global art survey and isn't entirely Western focused, which is nice. Of course, all the famous artists from Da Vinci, Monet, Warhol, Frida, Duchamp, are here but lesser known ones such as Nick Cave (an alum of my alma mater), El Anatsui, and Christ Ofili are featured too! For us children's book enthuasists who value it as an art form - Eric Carle is featured! This just might be the best art survey book for kids I've come across.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is art and how do you make it? This book explores all the different mediums and types of art in a very quick way. Art can be many things and this goes into all the crazy and famous artist how have done different things.

I didn't know this one. A man stared at a piece of paper for 1,000 hours and it's still blank. He calls that art. This covers the Paleolithic cave paintings to Andy Warhal and his soup paintings. It's just a kid asking questions and usually the artist will answer back. I would say I knew at least half the artist by name. Half I didn't know without looking up.

In the back is a list of each artist discussed and a quick fact about them.

A great book to get kids into art and see some history.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl’s questions about creating art are answered by a diverse group of artists spanning time periods, styles, media, and cultures.

The illustrations were done with by collating hand-painted shapes, layered with digital drawing done in Photoshop.

The names, birth and death dates, countries of residence, one to two sentences of biographical information of the artists depicted in the story are provided at the back of the book. Many modern artists are featured. I was surprised at the omission of Pablo Picasso. I was happy to see Piet Mondrian and Eric Carle included, and I was sad that Alphonse Mucha, Mark Rothko, and Amedeo Modigliani were absent, but there are so many great artists in the world.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad to see an identification of each of the artists depicted within the illustrations were identified at the end of the book as I was rather frustrated not being able to identify many of them. Of course instantly I saw Eric Carle and Frida Kahlo. Great questions to think about when creating art. Also interesting that the end papers had the colors that were used in the illustrations and the actual illustrations were designed with a computer using the paint swatches illustrated on the end papers.
This is a picture boon but I think it could be used through middle school to prepare to make art.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This (deceptively) simple picture book packs quite the punch! I love that the story so concisely shows how art can literally be made from anything. How art has the power to reflect the vastness of the human experience. Reading this was so moving that it brought tears to my eyes. It’s a permission slip to explore and be curious, an invitation to join this universal community, a validation for art that doesn’t fall within known or traditional categories, and a celebration of the creative human spirit. I recommend this for all artists and teachers. For everyone, really!

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so hoping the artists depicted throughout were named in the end - but I didn't want to turn to the back just yet. I was really enjoying myself seeing if I could guess the artists and spotting some faves along the way (Keith Haring and Eric Carle on the same page!? too much!) I was super excited to see not only were the artists mentioned by name, they each had a small biography too. AND the message of the book itself on what it looks like to be an artist is brilliant. LOVE.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome art history introduction that also gets at the idea that art can be anything you want. I love the question and answer format and the diversity of artists portrayed. The illustrations are vibrant and intriguing. I could see this being an excellent introduction at the beginning of an art class, or as a cool way to introduce a lot of artists in the library. It’d be neat to show students slides of the creators and their work too. Love this!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a better title for this book is "What is Art"? A little girl is curious about what makes art 'art' so she takes a walk down history lane and visits with a diverse group of well-known artists asking her many questions. The illustrations are fantastic and I love the factual information in this cute picture book but the questions seemed a bit redundant and repetitive to me. The back of the book contains brief bios of each of the featured artists in the story.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book that answers kids' basic questions about art (including "Does it have to be perfect?") and includes lots of fun facts about famous artists. I especially liked seeing a male fiber artist and a female cave painter. I didn't know that Michelangelo slept in his boots while painting the Sistine Chapel. It was also interesting to read about Esther Mahlangu, a South African artist who paints with chicken feathers.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book to get kids thinking about what makes something "ART." The illustrations are fantastic, with all the various styles and artists very clearly depicted, even within Mack's own style. My only concern is that if kids don't have any background on the artists, historical periods, styles, etc., coming into the book this book won't have as much meaning for them. But, it is a great place to start the discussion.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: A girl wants to know how to make art and asks artists from different decades about their mediums while becoming more inspired to create her own.            

Comments: There is a back section with brief biographical sketches of the artists featured in the story.

What a great book for art teachers to share with students!

Rating:3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The young girl in this story asks dozens of questions about art, and is answered by Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Picasso, Michelangelo, and more. Perfect to share as part of an introduction of an art class or program for kids, and encourages kids to think up their own art questions, and continue the discussion.

Themes: art, creators
Ages:K-3rd grade+
Pub year: 2024

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun picture book that features a girl interested in making art. She is introduced to a number of famous artists, and illustrations in the artist's style. A fun look at art and art history that will appeal to kids. The back matter provides a brief biography of the artists featured, some well known, and some I had never heard of!

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mack introduces many artists from the past and present to make the point that art is what the artist wants it to be; that there are no hard and fast rules. So it is an important book for young aspiring artists. The various artists are named in the back of the book. I personally was not all that enamored by the artistic style of Mack's artwork in this book.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a beautiful glimpse into the world of art. It features famous artists and inspires the reader to think about what art is to them. Is art pretty? How long should it take? Who should it be made for? What materials should be used?

There is a small spread at the very end that gives details about some of the artists featured in the story.

I want this one for my shelf.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mack masterfully manages to ask all the art questions heard in elementary schools with spectacular answers by famous artists with their art. There is so much to pour over in these illustrations! Mack includes back matter about each artist, as well. I could not love this book more!

I plan to add it to both of my school libraries!

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will be the first children's book I buy in 2024. This book is part manifesto on creativity, part collective biography of all kinds of artists, both famous and need-to-be-famous. This is one to re-read over and over again.

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to spark a discussion of all things art--what it is, how to make it, etc. Famous artists and many different mediums appear in the illustrations. Back matter provides information on all that appear.