Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark

Bibliography
Marcus, Leonard S. 2007. Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark. New York, NY: Walker Publishing Company, ISBN: 080279600-I

Plot Summary
Leonard S. Marcus introduces the reader to five famous families who have written and illustrated children’s picture books. The book includes biographies, interviews, family photos, and artwork, of The Crews and Jonas Family, The Hurd Family, The Meyers Family, The Pinkney Family and The Rockwell Family.

Critical Analysis
Marcus leads the reader in a brief, thought provoking introduction about how physical and ability traits are often passed down from parents to their children. He points out that through love, encouragement and support parents can help their children hone these talents and turn them into a profession. Each chapter is a family album providing interviews, personal memories, and examples of the family’s art. These examples provide the reader with a glimpse of what it is to be an author and or illustrator. Marcus not only gives us a view of these families’ personal lives and unique styles of art and writing, but also provides photographs, rough drafts and actual editor’s letters. These rough drafts and letters allow readers see that authors and illustrators go through a process when writing and illustrating books. The reader really gets a sense of who these families are and how art and literature permeates throughout their homes. This book will be of special interest to librarians, teachers and those who want to know more about these very famous families.

Review Excerpts
The Horn Book Magazine: Marcus provides a glimpse into these families' lives, leaving it to the reader to spot the interesting similarities and differences between them. The main audience will probably be children's librarians and teachers, but the writing level is perfectly in keeping with elementary-school children, and the style is chatty and anecdotal. Photos of the book creators and reproductions of their work illustrate the text. S.D.L.

School Library Journal: Grade 4 up. Marcus carefully makes the point that, although perhaps blessed with some inherited talent and encouraged by their parents, all of the children pursued their art with diligence and have emerged with their own unique styles. -Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Connections
Author's Website: http://www.leonardmarcus.com/index.html

Activity: This is an excellent book to use when doing an author study of any or all of these author/illustrators. Read several of the books from each of these family's members and then share their chapter from Pass It Down.

Other books about creating and illustrating picture books:

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art by Eric Carle ISBN: 0399246002
Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang ISBN: 1587170302
Side By Side: Five Favorite Picture Book Teams Go to Work by Leonard S. Marcus ISBN: 0802796165