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It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw
Growing up as an enslaved boy on an Alabama cotton farm, Bill Traylor worked all day in the hot fields. When slavery ended, Bill's family stayed on the farm as sharecroppers. There Bill grew to manhood, raised his own family, and cared for the land and his animals.
By 1935 Bill was eighty-one and all alone on his farm. So he packed his bag and moved to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. Lonely and poor, he wandered the busy downtown streets. But deep within himself Bill had a reservoir of memories of working and living on the land, and soon those memories blossomed into pictures. Bill began to draw people, places, and animals from his earlier life, as well as scenes of the city around him.
Today Bill Traylor is considered to be one of the most important self-taught American folk artists. Winner of Lee & Low s New Voices Award Honor, It Jes Happened is a lively tribute to this man who has enriched the world with more than twelve hundred warm, energetic, and often humorous pictures.
"
By 1935 Bill was eighty-one and all alone on his farm. So he packed his bag and moved to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama. Lonely and poor, he wandered the busy downtown streets. But deep within himself Bill had a reservoir of memories of working and living on the land, and soon those memories blossomed into pictures. Bill began to draw people, places, and animals from his earlier life, as well as scenes of the city around him.
Today Bill Traylor is considered to be one of the most important self-taught American folk artists. Winner of Lee & Low s New Voices Award Honor, It Jes Happened is a lively tribute to this man who has enriched the world with more than twelve hundred warm, energetic, and often humorous pictures.
"
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
355 people want to read
About the author
Don Tate
48 books119 followersDon Tate is an award-winning author, and the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. He is also one of the founding hosts of the blog The Brown Bookshelf - a blog dedicated to books for African American young readers with book reviews, author and illustrator interviews. Likewise, Don is a member of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign, a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and son.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 17, 2021
A picture book introducing artist Bill Traylor. Traylor was born into slavery on an Alabama cotton farm in the 1850s, he lived there first as a slave then as a sharecropper. He didn’t leave until the 1930s when he was in his eighties. Alone after his wife’s death, he moved to the city of Montgomery to work in a factory where, inspired by his memories, he started to produce art using scraps and discarded materials. Writer Don Tate and illustrator R. Gregory Christie’s overview of Traylor’s life is lucid but slightly unbalanced, shifting between prose clearly catering to younger audiences and drier factual material, and the visual elements are a little too muted for my taste. But despite that it’s a decent accounting of the key elements of Traylor's biography, although it’s a shame it doesn’t incorporate examples of Traylor’s own, singular, memorable artistic vision.
March 23, 2012
Teaching kids about outsider art feels like a no-brainer to me. Which is to say, why doesn't it happen more often? Perhaps there's a feeling that educating kids on the self-taught is ultimately self-defeating. Can't say as I agree, of course. Seems to me that learning about the great outsider artists could give a kid a kind of hope. This is particularly true in the case of Bill Traylor. Here you have a guy who lived a whole life, discovered an artistic calling near the end, and remains remembered where before he might have been forgotten. It makes for an interesting lesson and, to my relief, and even more interesting book. In It Jes' Happened Don Tate and R. Gregory Christie pair up for the first time ever to present the life and art of an ordinary man who lived through extraordinary times.
He was born a slave, Bill Traylor was. Around 1854 or so Bill was born on a cotton plantation in Alabama. After the Civil War his parents stayed on as sharecroppers. After he grew up Bill ran a farm of his own with his wife and kids, but when Bill turned eighty-one he was alone on the farm by himself. With cane in hand he headed for Montgomery. It was there that he started drawing, for no immediately apparent reason. He'd draw on cardboard or discarded paper. After a time, a young artist took an interest in Bill, ultimately showing off his work in a gallery show. Bill enjoyed it but for him the drawing was the most important thing. An Afterword discusses Bill's life and shows a photograph of him and a piece of his art.
When you’re writing a picture book biography of any artist the first problem you need to address is how to portray that person’s art in the book. If you're the illustrator do you try to replicate the original artist's work? Do you draw or paint in your own style and include small images of the artist's original work? Or do you show absolutely none of the original art, trusting your readership to do that homework on their own? There is a fourth option, but I don't know that I was aware of it before I read this book. You can hire an illustrator whose style is similar enough to the original artist that when the time comes to reference the original art they make their own version and then show the artist's work at the end.
Now I'll go out on a limb here and admit that I've never really been a huge fan of R. Gregory Christie's style before. It's one of those things I can appreciate on an aesthetic level but never really personally enjoy. Yet in this book I felt that Christie was really the only person who could do Traylor's tale justice. I had initially wondered why he had been chosen (before reading the book, I might add) since author Don Tate is an artist in his own right. If he wrote this story why didn't he just go ahead and illustrate it too? The answer is that while Don's style works for bios like She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story or Say Hey: A Song of Willie Mays, Traylor's tale demanded an illustrator that could replicate his near two-dimensional style. Christie delivers. In this book the characters in Traylor's memories walk and dance and pray in ways similar to those found in his art. Christie simultaneously creates something lively and fun while paying a kind of homage to the book's subject.
Not to say the text is anything to scoff at either. Though I was initially put off by the design of the book with it's blocks of text just dropped into the images without so much as a by-your-leave, the wordplay here more than made up for it. Tate had a challenge of his own when writing this book. Little is known about Traylor's youth aside from some broad facts gleaned when he was in his eighties. So how do you write a book when you don't have many specifics to work with? In Tate's case the answer was to use Traylor's art as a starting point. He begins the book by showing Traylor sitting down to make his art. Then we flash back to the past and see some of the moments of the man's youth. Many of the sections there end with the sentence, "Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside himself." It becomes a kind of mantra, culminating in a scene later where we see Traylor drawing in earnest, his creations flitting about his head like there are so many they can't all fit in his brain or even on the page. Tate's focus is on the memories, whether they are glimpses of the past or drawings on a page. I dare say Traylor would have appreciated that kind of a focus.
This is not the first children’s biography of Traylor made, of course. In 1995 Mary E. Lyons wrote Deep Blues: Bill Traylor Self-Taught Artist to great acclaim. That book had the advantage of showing Traylor’s art itself in several black and white and full-color reproductions. Seeing that book I did find myself wishing that Tate's Afterword had made mention of where the book got its source material. And while I liked seeing a little image of his art, I craved more. Fortunately it's that kind of feeling that will lead kids to discover more about the artist himself. A Bibliography wouldn't have been out of place, but at least this book is somewhere to start.
The book serves as a kind of natural companion to the Caldecott Award winning book of nonfiction Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill. Both books examine men who experienced slavery firsthand but rather than be forgotten they live on through their art. Dave never escaped his situation and, in a sense, neither did Bill. But they both pursued what they loved and their picture books give kids a sense of how a person can have power while being effectively invisible to the greater world. Kids themselves are often invisible to others. Maybe Bill will help some of them see that art lets you be heard, albeit silently sometimes. A great book, a great subject, and a great use of two notable author/illustrator talents.
For ages 5-9.
He was born a slave, Bill Traylor was. Around 1854 or so Bill was born on a cotton plantation in Alabama. After the Civil War his parents stayed on as sharecroppers. After he grew up Bill ran a farm of his own with his wife and kids, but when Bill turned eighty-one he was alone on the farm by himself. With cane in hand he headed for Montgomery. It was there that he started drawing, for no immediately apparent reason. He'd draw on cardboard or discarded paper. After a time, a young artist took an interest in Bill, ultimately showing off his work in a gallery show. Bill enjoyed it but for him the drawing was the most important thing. An Afterword discusses Bill's life and shows a photograph of him and a piece of his art.
When you’re writing a picture book biography of any artist the first problem you need to address is how to portray that person’s art in the book. If you're the illustrator do you try to replicate the original artist's work? Do you draw or paint in your own style and include small images of the artist's original work? Or do you show absolutely none of the original art, trusting your readership to do that homework on their own? There is a fourth option, but I don't know that I was aware of it before I read this book. You can hire an illustrator whose style is similar enough to the original artist that when the time comes to reference the original art they make their own version and then show the artist's work at the end.
Now I'll go out on a limb here and admit that I've never really been a huge fan of R. Gregory Christie's style before. It's one of those things I can appreciate on an aesthetic level but never really personally enjoy. Yet in this book I felt that Christie was really the only person who could do Traylor's tale justice. I had initially wondered why he had been chosen (before reading the book, I might add) since author Don Tate is an artist in his own right. If he wrote this story why didn't he just go ahead and illustrate it too? The answer is that while Don's style works for bios like She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story or Say Hey: A Song of Willie Mays, Traylor's tale demanded an illustrator that could replicate his near two-dimensional style. Christie delivers. In this book the characters in Traylor's memories walk and dance and pray in ways similar to those found in his art. Christie simultaneously creates something lively and fun while paying a kind of homage to the book's subject.
Not to say the text is anything to scoff at either. Though I was initially put off by the design of the book with it's blocks of text just dropped into the images without so much as a by-your-leave, the wordplay here more than made up for it. Tate had a challenge of his own when writing this book. Little is known about Traylor's youth aside from some broad facts gleaned when he was in his eighties. So how do you write a book when you don't have many specifics to work with? In Tate's case the answer was to use Traylor's art as a starting point. He begins the book by showing Traylor sitting down to make his art. Then we flash back to the past and see some of the moments of the man's youth. Many of the sections there end with the sentence, "Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside himself." It becomes a kind of mantra, culminating in a scene later where we see Traylor drawing in earnest, his creations flitting about his head like there are so many they can't all fit in his brain or even on the page. Tate's focus is on the memories, whether they are glimpses of the past or drawings on a page. I dare say Traylor would have appreciated that kind of a focus.
This is not the first children’s biography of Traylor made, of course. In 1995 Mary E. Lyons wrote Deep Blues: Bill Traylor Self-Taught Artist to great acclaim. That book had the advantage of showing Traylor’s art itself in several black and white and full-color reproductions. Seeing that book I did find myself wishing that Tate's Afterword had made mention of where the book got its source material. And while I liked seeing a little image of his art, I craved more. Fortunately it's that kind of feeling that will lead kids to discover more about the artist himself. A Bibliography wouldn't have been out of place, but at least this book is somewhere to start.
The book serves as a kind of natural companion to the Caldecott Award winning book of nonfiction Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill. Both books examine men who experienced slavery firsthand but rather than be forgotten they live on through their art. Dave never escaped his situation and, in a sense, neither did Bill. But they both pursued what they loved and their picture books give kids a sense of how a person can have power while being effectively invisible to the greater world. Kids themselves are often invisible to others. Maybe Bill will help some of them see that art lets you be heard, albeit silently sometimes. A great book, a great subject, and a great use of two notable author/illustrator talents.
For ages 5-9.
September 15, 2012
I liked the writing and the repeated idea that Bill Traylor's art, produced in his later years, drew on a lifetime of memories and experience. I appreciate the sources and quote citations in the front of the book and the author's note in the back. I love that the art in the book reflected Traylor's idiosyncratic style. And of course I love any time a lesser-known figure from history gets a spot on the shelf next to all of the Abraham Lincolns and Rosa Parks.
But man, was there NO ROOM in this book for more of Traylor's own art? Was there no way to put in an inset on each page of a figure or icon from his work that had some thematic relationship to the events related in the story? Or more images at the end of the book? Granted, all it takes is a "Bill Traylor art" Google and you've got a whole mess of them to look at, but I think for young children there's a lot of power in making the connection immediately, right there. (Not to mention all the digital divide issues with kids who might have a chance to see the book but not be connected to the Internet.)
Oh well.
But man, was there NO ROOM in this book for more of Traylor's own art? Was there no way to put in an inset on each page of a figure or icon from his work that had some thematic relationship to the events related in the story? Or more images at the end of the book? Granted, all it takes is a "Bill Traylor art" Google and you've got a whole mess of them to look at, but I think for young children there's a lot of power in making the connection immediately, right there. (Not to mention all the digital divide issues with kids who might have a chance to see the book but not be connected to the Internet.)
Oh well.
Read
June 14, 2014Text-to-Self Connection: As I read this book I continued to focus on the memories the main character was storing up, ones that he would then draw later in his life. I couldn't help but think of the memories that I am storing up, even ones that I might not be aware of. For example, Sunday dinners with grandma. This is a regular event, but a memory that I will have for many years to come.
Bloom's Questions:
1. When did Bill's family become free to work as sharecroppers instead of slaves?
2. Describe what is meant when the author says, "Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside him."
3. What examples can you find that show Bill as a hard worker?
4. What is the relationship between Bill Traylor and Charles Shannon at the end of the story?
5. Would it be better if people had purchased Traylor's art at the art show? Why or why not?
6. What inferences can you make about Bill Traylor's life?
Review Citation: (2012, August 14). Horn Book Guide. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#.
Bloom's Questions:
1. When did Bill's family become free to work as sharecroppers instead of slaves?
2. Describe what is meant when the author says, "Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside him."
3. What examples can you find that show Bill as a hard worker?
4. What is the relationship between Bill Traylor and Charles Shannon at the end of the story?
5. Would it be better if people had purchased Traylor's art at the art show? Why or why not?
6. What inferences can you make about Bill Traylor's life?
Review Citation: (2012, August 14). Horn Book Guide. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#.
March 24, 2024
Portrait of Bill Traylor, who began life as an enslaved person and became a much admired artist late in life. No, let me recant, that's an overly optimistic and overly simplified version of events. Traylor was devoted to his art, and he found admirers who documented his work, helped him to get exhibits. But the book makes clear he was subject to poverty and Jim Crow laws all his life. The picture book operates on multiple levels, educating children about that period and its impact on the existence of a single man. The artistic process is another theme. All of these messages are seamlessly presented to young readers.
I find it disconcerting that Goodreads highlights the author bio but not the illustrator bio in its description-- not right with picture books.
I find it disconcerting that Goodreads highlights the author bio but not the illustrator bio in its description-- not right with picture books.
August 1, 2012
"Bill saved up these memories deep inside"
It Jes' Happened is another fantastic gem, hidden in the shelves of picture books for pre-schoolers. Do not be fooled. This 4th grade level book is filled with historical accounts a daily life of a slave, then former slave, a baby to an old man. It can be considered a biography or even a non-fiction book by me and the Library of Congress.
It is on a 4th to 5th grade level.
AR 4.8
It Jes' Happened is another fantastic gem, hidden in the shelves of picture books for pre-schoolers. Do not be fooled. This 4th grade level book is filled with historical accounts a daily life of a slave, then former slave, a baby to an old man. It can be considered a biography or even a non-fiction book by me and the Library of Congress.
It is on a 4th to 5th grade level.
AR 4.8
March 7, 2013
Fascinating. Pictures tell their own story. I could hear what Bill Traylor sounded like. This book made me want to go online and enjoy his art.
September 15, 2014
Don Tate's It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw is a delightful account of the life of African-American artist Bill Traylor. As an artist myself, I have to appreciate learning about Bill Traylor and his emergence in the art world. As a teacher-to-be, I have to appreciate the rich opportunities for learning it provides in the classroom.
Tate writes this book with such a colorful style. It is humorous in parts, sad in others, and lighthearted in others still. I really adore the attention to Traylor's dialect; it brings the artist to life in a way that could not otherwise be achieved. It also makes for a really fun read-aloud. I have to be honest in that I am not a big fan of R. Gregory Christie's illustration style here, simply as a personal preference. But, I think it is the best style that could have been chosen for this book and it pays homage to Bill Traylor.
I think this book would be a priceless addition to any elementary classroom.
For one, it makes a great text to include in a history unit regarding the period of slavery in the U.S, specifically as an introductory text: it could be used to introduce students to the concepts of slavery and sharecropping. Secondly, it would be a good text in a culture unit, again as an introductory text, about 19th century slave and freed African-American culture. Lastly, it would be perfect in an art unit to discuss the value and purposes of visual art. I can see Traylor's story inspiring students, especially those that are already artistically inclined, to pursue art as a means of expression and comfort. I cannot accept that art is a worthless subject for students. I would love to have this book in my classroom library for all of these reasons.
The publisher says that this text is appropriate for 3rd grade (level O readers), but there are a couple words that even 4th or 5th graders might not know, such as "brood" (as a noun), "rheumatism", and "palette". I do think it is well-written enough so that it is easy to understand though. Even if students can read it independently, I think the nature of the book best lends itself to being read aloud so I would like to either read it to students or have students read it to each other.
Tate writes this book with such a colorful style. It is humorous in parts, sad in others, and lighthearted in others still. I really adore the attention to Traylor's dialect; it brings the artist to life in a way that could not otherwise be achieved. It also makes for a really fun read-aloud. I have to be honest in that I am not a big fan of R. Gregory Christie's illustration style here, simply as a personal preference. But, I think it is the best style that could have been chosen for this book and it pays homage to Bill Traylor.
I think this book would be a priceless addition to any elementary classroom.
For one, it makes a great text to include in a history unit regarding the period of slavery in the U.S, specifically as an introductory text: it could be used to introduce students to the concepts of slavery and sharecropping. Secondly, it would be a good text in a culture unit, again as an introductory text, about 19th century slave and freed African-American culture. Lastly, it would be perfect in an art unit to discuss the value and purposes of visual art. I can see Traylor's story inspiring students, especially those that are already artistically inclined, to pursue art as a means of expression and comfort. I cannot accept that art is a worthless subject for students. I would love to have this book in my classroom library for all of these reasons.
The publisher says that this text is appropriate for 3rd grade (level O readers), but there are a couple words that even 4th or 5th graders might not know, such as "brood" (as a noun), "rheumatism", and "palette". I do think it is well-written enough so that it is easy to understand though. Even if students can read it independently, I think the nature of the book best lends itself to being read aloud so I would like to either read it to students or have students read it to each other.
March 20, 2015
1. Twin Text: Seed Magic by Jane Buchanan Copyright 2011
2. Rationale: It Jes Happened is the captivating story of a former slave, Bill Traylor, who became one of the most respected American Folk artists in history. He was born into slavery, and worked long days in the fields picking cotton. His family found freedom after the Civil War, but stayed on the land and worked as share croppers with their former owners. Bill didn’t begin drawing and painting until he was in his eighties, but he was saving up decades of memories of the beauty and joy in his life, that one day just poured out onto the page. His simple, whimsical drawings tell the tales of his past and bring color to the downtown streets of Montgomery, Alabama in 1939. The twin text, Seed Magic, is also about an elderly “Birdman” who wants to bring color and beauty to the drab city by planting flowers and attracting colorful birds with his seeds. The stunning illustrations by African American illustrator Charlotte Riley-Webb are art in their own right, just like Bill Traylor’s. The books connect in their harmony of color and celebration of life.
3. Text Structure: Chronological Sequence: The structure of this text is told in chronological sequence of how events occurred in Bill Traylor’s life. It is a beautifully told tale with connections to the Civil War, the life of a share cropper in the south, and overcoming struggles in old age.
4. Strategy Application: I wish I had a class right now so I could do an American Folk Art study and have my students illustrate in the style of Bill Traylor. We could write a memory from our life and try to use the color palettes and styles of either artist to illustrate our stories. I love how much I learned from researching Bill Traylor and Charlotte Riley-Webb and I can’t wait to learn more.
2. Rationale: It Jes Happened is the captivating story of a former slave, Bill Traylor, who became one of the most respected American Folk artists in history. He was born into slavery, and worked long days in the fields picking cotton. His family found freedom after the Civil War, but stayed on the land and worked as share croppers with their former owners. Bill didn’t begin drawing and painting until he was in his eighties, but he was saving up decades of memories of the beauty and joy in his life, that one day just poured out onto the page. His simple, whimsical drawings tell the tales of his past and bring color to the downtown streets of Montgomery, Alabama in 1939. The twin text, Seed Magic, is also about an elderly “Birdman” who wants to bring color and beauty to the drab city by planting flowers and attracting colorful birds with his seeds. The stunning illustrations by African American illustrator Charlotte Riley-Webb are art in their own right, just like Bill Traylor’s. The books connect in their harmony of color and celebration of life.
3. Text Structure: Chronological Sequence: The structure of this text is told in chronological sequence of how events occurred in Bill Traylor’s life. It is a beautifully told tale with connections to the Civil War, the life of a share cropper in the south, and overcoming struggles in old age.
4. Strategy Application: I wish I had a class right now so I could do an American Folk Art study and have my students illustrate in the style of Bill Traylor. We could write a memory from our life and try to use the color palettes and styles of either artist to illustrate our stories. I love how much I learned from researching Bill Traylor and Charlotte Riley-Webb and I can’t wait to learn more.
April 18, 2017
I just love these stories about self-taught folk artists! Bill Traylor reminded me of Grandma Moses, who suddenly began to paint when in her late 70s. Bill, a former slave, began his artistic career even later in life--he was 81! He drew on old pieces of cardboard or paper bags or whatever scrap he could get hold of, using first a pencil stub and later a few colored pencils and paints. His drawings were simple and reflected his memories of times past. What I especially liked was that the illustrator of this book, R. Gregory Christie, drew his illustrations in a similar style to that of Bill Traylor, which made the story feel so much more authentic. An afterword at the end of the book provides further details about his life and what happened to his drawings after he died. But the best thing of all was a small photo of one of his original illustrations. If only there had been more of those!
Children reading this may be inspired to draw or paint their own memories in their own style. Combine this book with Painting Dreams: Minnie Evans, Visionary Artist by Mary E. Lyons, Talking with Tebe: Clementine Hunter, Memory Artist by Mary E. Lyons, Grandma Moses by Alexandra Wallner, and Dave Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill. Highly recommended!
Children reading this may be inspired to draw or paint their own memories in their own style. Combine this book with Painting Dreams: Minnie Evans, Visionary Artist by Mary E. Lyons, Talking with Tebe: Clementine Hunter, Memory Artist by Mary E. Lyons, Grandma Moses by Alexandra Wallner, and Dave Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill. Highly recommended!
April 17, 2012
A celebration of the oral tradition and the power of early experiences as catalyst for writing or creating artwork.
If you might have asked Bill Traylor why he started to draw, he might have responded, "It jes' came to me." When the folks from the Traylor farm died, Bill's wife died, and his children had moved out and moved on, Billy Traylor wandered toward Montgomery, Alabama, an eighty-one-year-old about to embark upon a whole new journey.
Lee and Low Books presents the story of 85 year-old, self-taught artist Bill Traylor who shows up in Montgomery, Alabama to sit on a wooden box drawing upon his memories "stored up inside of him" to render artwork depicting those memories. The Monroe street sidewalk would eventually become his art studio.
When Bill Traylor captures the attention of a local artist, a new relationship forms. In 1940, this benefactor helped Traylor to put on an art show, but none of the paintings sold. Bill, however, spent the afternoon pointing at the paintings, telling the stories behind the subjects on the canvases.
Might be a nice ladder with Zora Neale Hurston's extended works for the collection of stories from a working lifetime.
If you might have asked Bill Traylor why he started to draw, he might have responded, "It jes' came to me." When the folks from the Traylor farm died, Bill's wife died, and his children had moved out and moved on, Billy Traylor wandered toward Montgomery, Alabama, an eighty-one-year-old about to embark upon a whole new journey.
Lee and Low Books presents the story of 85 year-old, self-taught artist Bill Traylor who shows up in Montgomery, Alabama to sit on a wooden box drawing upon his memories "stored up inside of him" to render artwork depicting those memories. The Monroe street sidewalk would eventually become his art studio.
When Bill Traylor captures the attention of a local artist, a new relationship forms. In 1940, this benefactor helped Traylor to put on an art show, but none of the paintings sold. Bill, however, spent the afternoon pointing at the paintings, telling the stories behind the subjects on the canvases.
Might be a nice ladder with Zora Neale Hurston's extended works for the collection of stories from a working lifetime.
April 9, 2013
This book is a New Voices Award honor book.
This book tells the story of Bill Traylor who started to draw when he was 85 years old. His life is detailed from his birth to his eventual death at 95-years-old. Bill never planned to be an artist and was very humble about it when people bought his artwork or put it in a gallery for display. He was just a hard-working farmer filled with images that he started to draw when he was too old to farm and had time to let those images come out.
The illustrations in this book are simple and yet detailed at the same time. It is not specifically mentioned, but I believe they are drawn in the same vein as Bill Traylors pictures. They maintain a black folk art feel and the roughness of an untrained artist.
This book would be best to use with upper elementary age students because of the length of text on each page. The author makes note that he reconstructed the bibliographic information as best he could and he provides several resources and quotation sources. There is both an author's note and an afterward to provide additional information.
This book tells the story of Bill Traylor who started to draw when he was 85 years old. His life is detailed from his birth to his eventual death at 95-years-old. Bill never planned to be an artist and was very humble about it when people bought his artwork or put it in a gallery for display. He was just a hard-working farmer filled with images that he started to draw when he was too old to farm and had time to let those images come out.
The illustrations in this book are simple and yet detailed at the same time. It is not specifically mentioned, but I believe they are drawn in the same vein as Bill Traylors pictures. They maintain a black folk art feel and the roughness of an untrained artist.
This book would be best to use with upper elementary age students because of the length of text on each page. The author makes note that he reconstructed the bibliographic information as best he could and he provides several resources and quotation sources. There is both an author's note and an afterward to provide additional information.
January 23, 2024
A recent children's picture book celebrating the work of folk artist Bill Traylor will appeal to those who are fans of folk art and anyone interested in the history of art in America.
The story of Bill Traylor and his simple, yet moving artwork is the subject of "It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw" by Don Tate and R. Gregory Christie. In images reminiscent of those created by Bill and accompanied by a smooth and flowing text, the story of how Bill's art came to be appreciated and celebrated comes to life. It is also the story of Bill's life before he became an artist.
No one knows for sure why Bill waited until he was an elderly man to begin creating his unique form of art. Perhaps after a lifetime of storing up memories of living as a slave and a sharecropper, it was the only way he could accurately tell his story. Whatever the reasons, he left an enduring collection of art that continues to inform and educate the public about his life and outsider art.
The story of Bill Traylor and his simple, yet moving artwork is the subject of "It Jes' Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw" by Don Tate and R. Gregory Christie. In images reminiscent of those created by Bill and accompanied by a smooth and flowing text, the story of how Bill's art came to be appreciated and celebrated comes to life. It is also the story of Bill's life before he became an artist.
No one knows for sure why Bill waited until he was an elderly man to begin creating his unique form of art. Perhaps after a lifetime of storing up memories of living as a slave and a sharecropper, it was the only way he could accurately tell his story. Whatever the reasons, he left an enduring collection of art that continues to inform and educate the public about his life and outsider art.
July 23, 2012
3 starred reviews (7.23.12): SLJ, Kirkus, Booklist
"...Traylor’s tale demanded an illustrator that could replicate his near two-dimensional style. Christie delivers. In this book the characters in Traylor’s memories walk and dance and pray in ways similar to those found in his art. Christie simultaneously creates something lively and fun while paying a kind of homage to the book’s subject..."--Fuse #8.
"...Christie’s acrylic and gouache illustrations nod toward Traylor’s own style, with bold color blocks and naïf figures, in this thoughtful reflection on the nature of creative inspiration..." --PW.
"...Traylor’s tale demanded an illustrator that could replicate his near two-dimensional style. Christie delivers. In this book the characters in Traylor’s memories walk and dance and pray in ways similar to those found in his art. Christie simultaneously creates something lively and fun while paying a kind of homage to the book’s subject..."--Fuse #8.
"...Christie’s acrylic and gouache illustrations nod toward Traylor’s own style, with bold color blocks and naïf figures, in this thoughtful reflection on the nature of creative inspiration..." --PW.
February 12, 2013
This book joins others in an effort to lend depth and breadth to the African American biography selection. Biography of vital yet less mythical figures is an important movement in historical fiction. Traylor's outsider art is an obvious inspiration for Christie's folk art style. Christie avoids mimicking Traylor until he starts to draw the story of Traylor drawing.
Interesting peritextual detail: The author's note, sources, and quotation sources are at the beginning of the book, but still with a full-page afterword at the end.
As with A Boy Called Dickens, this biography almost depends on a reader's existing knowledge and appreciation of Traylor's work. Its magical quality doesn't jump out at me from these pages the way it does from the originals. I would suggest looking at a lot of his drawings before looking at this biography. Nancy and I have looked at a lot of outsider art, and even had a subscription to Raw Vision (one of Tate's sources) for a while in the 90s.
Interesting peritextual detail: The author's note, sources, and quotation sources are at the beginning of the book, but still with a full-page afterword at the end.
As with A Boy Called Dickens, this biography almost depends on a reader's existing knowledge and appreciation of Traylor's work. Its magical quality doesn't jump out at me from these pages the way it does from the originals. I would suggest looking at a lot of his drawings before looking at this biography. Nancy and I have looked at a lot of outsider art, and even had a subscription to Raw Vision (one of Tate's sources) for a while in the 90s.
August 16, 2012
This picture book is a beautiful tribute to a legendary folk artist. Bill Traylor grew up a slave in Alabama. Born in 1854, he worked in the fields as a child. When the slaves were freed at the end of the Civil War, his family stayed on working as sharecroppers on the same land they worked as slaves. As things happened to him throughout his life, from hunger to parties, Bill Traylor remembered it all. When he finally left the farm and headed to the big city of Montgomery, it was those memories that he drew and painted. At age 85, he started drawing and kept on. He got attention for it too, eventually getting a gallery show in 1940. Bill Traylor showed his life and his heart through his simple yet powerful art.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
August 24, 2013
Bill Traylor grew up as a slave in the cotton fields of Alabama. His family stayed on as sharecroppers after slavery ended. When Bill was 81-years-old he decided he had lived on a farm long enough and moved to the city. However, finding a job was difficult in the 1930's for an elderly ex-slave who had no education. Bill couldn't even read or write. He was determined and spunky and despite suffering from rheumatism was able to find odd jobs now and again. Unfortunately the jobs didn't pay much and Bill ended up homeless and on the streets of Montgomery. Feelings of loneliness and missing his family caused Bill to pick up a pencil and scrap of paper and begin drawing. His drawings were simple of shape and design but full of memories and emotions. It is amazing that a man of his age who hailed from such lowly circumstances could rise above everything and do what his heart desired.
July 19, 2017
This book provides children and adults with the lesson of no matter how old you can always make shifts to your life. Bill started off as a slave, then to a sharecropper, and finally an artist without even trying. He took his memory of his rich farm life, doing what he loved, sharecropping and turned it into beautiful paintings. Bill became known as one of the most favorite self-taught artist during his time and this book is well deserving of Ezra Jack Keats Book Award. A great book for grades 2nd through 4th. Children need to read more about people who turn their lives around without planning but just off of passion and the desire. I used Amazon and Audible as my resources on this great book.
November 24, 2012
Bill Traylor was born into slavery, but will be remembered for his artwork. After his farm is gone and most of his family passes away, Bill finds himself missing pieces of his past. To combat the pain, he draws the images in his mind and is remembered today as one of the most important self-taught Anerican folk artists.
The writing traces Traylor's life in a poetic way, each paragraph ending with the same refrain: "Bill saved up memories of these tiems deep inside himself."
Illustrations are rendered in acrylic and gouache and make heavy use of Traylor's preferred palette of colors: rich primary colors and brown earthtones.
The writing traces Traylor's life in a poetic way, each paragraph ending with the same refrain: "Bill saved up memories of these tiems deep inside himself."
Illustrations are rendered in acrylic and gouache and make heavy use of Traylor's preferred palette of colors: rich primary colors and brown earthtones.
December 9, 2012
Bill Traylor was eighty-one years old when, out of the blue, he began to draw. He'd saved up memories of a lifetime, memories of Sunday morning church services and swimming in the river with his friends and picking cotton on the farm, and he suddenly began to draw little pictures of fighting cats and men in tall hats and hunters on horses. A show was arranged for Bill and he had a chance to share his memories with the world.
I love this beautifully written story of a simple man who suddenly became an artist at an age that most people are starting to wind down, a man who almost compulsively drew and drew, a person who created simple beautiful art.
I love this beautifully written story of a simple man who suddenly became an artist at an age that most people are starting to wind down, a man who almost compulsively drew and drew, a person who created simple beautiful art.
August 17, 2016
While I enjoyed learning about a self-made artist, including his past and why he chose to draw, illustrated by a fellow folk artist, I just can't fathom how his story can be told without his own illustrations. I wish they'd at least been included, if not used to create the pages themselves. Other than that, this books tells it like it is; slavery is mentioned as a fact of life, and I like that it doesn't gloss over it. This would be a great book to share with children who feel like they are hindered by themselves from ever doing what they love to do; Bill Traylor didn't have any formal training; he just decided to draw - and did so!
April 14, 2015
Bill Traylor is hardly a household name when it comes to art, but this was a nice book. It describes Traylor's life and his art, though his life as an artist strikes me as strange. He seemed to be an older man who'd developed a drawing hobby. I don't have a problem with that, but I keep thinking that I know a lot of people that like draw a lot. Still, I have no real understanding of the art world, so I don't know what I'm talking about. I liked the book though. It was an interesting portrayal of a subject that I knew absolutely nothing about. It would be a good addition to any biography section.
September 28, 2015
Bill Traylor, born into slavery in Alabama in 1854, didn't begin to draw until he was 85. Yet his drawings reveal all that he remembered, memories long stored in his mind and heart. Author Don Tate uses the phrase "Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside himself." Illustrator Gregory Christie's illustrations accompany the dramatic narrative of Traylor's life. Deep, saturated opaque gouache colors convey a folk art feel reminiscent of Traylor's own art. Traylor used simple materials, pencil on paper bags or cardboard (found items), even when provided with art materials by supporters. A fascinating story.
July 21, 2016
Readers learn about a little known African-American artist in this simply beautiful biography. Bill Traylor grew up a slave and then a shareholder to a cotton farm. He grew old and saved all his memories deep inside him. As an old man, he moved to the city. He didn't have much but his memories so he started drawing on the street corner. Soon an artist recognized his talent and started providing him with colored pencils, good art paper, and paints. Bill Traylor continued to draw and paint until his death. His artist friend, Charles Shannon, saved his art work and reintroduced it to America in the 1970's.
August 30, 2017
The length of Tate’s text might deter some readers, but it’s worth slowing down and taking the time to immerse yourself in the rich details of the experiences that shaped Traylor’s life. Tate moves from his usual role as illustrator to share a different time and way of life, this time through words. The line “Bill saved up these memories deep inside” echoes through the text until the memories flow forth in a unique form of art. This portrait of a humble, hardworking man who found strength in creating art provides a great example for young readers and artists who might wonder what they have to offer.
September 24, 2012
Historyical Fic - Civil War through the 1940s. Biography of Bill Traylor - artist.
New Voices Honor Book
ALSC Blog post from the author, Don Tate: http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2012/08/...
Betsy Bird from A Fuse#8 Production: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/.... She notes an alike book in Dave the Potter.
New Voices Honor Book
ALSC Blog post from the author, Don Tate: http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2012/08/...
Betsy Bird from A Fuse#8 Production: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/.... She notes an alike book in Dave the Potter.
May 9, 2013
Bill Traylor spend his entire life farming. When his family passed away and moved away, he moved too. He made his way to Montgomery to live where he discovered a hard way of life, but also a new beginning - in art.
Themes: history, memories, art
Characters: Bill Traylor, Charles Shannon
Artwork: acrylic and gouache
Author's Note: A tiny paragraph in the opening book information section about the title/quote. One page afterward about folk art and rediscovery of Traylor.
Reviewed from a library copy.
Themes: history, memories, art
Characters: Bill Traylor, Charles Shannon
Artwork: acrylic and gouache
Author's Note: A tiny paragraph in the opening book information section about the title/quote. One page afterward about folk art and rediscovery of Traylor.
Reviewed from a library copy.
June 25, 2013
The folk art illustrations echo the drawings that Bill Traylor began to make when he moved to the city after eighty-five years on a farm as a slave and sharecropper. The recurring theme of the book--"Bill saved up memories of these times deep inside." --sets the stage for the drawings that well up from his past after he moves to Montgomery. The text covers the span of Bill's life and admits that why he began to draw so late in life is still a mystery. Great support for the elementary art curriculum.
October 7, 2015
A non-fiction picture book introduction to Bill Traylor, an enslaved boy who becomes a free man who works for many years as a sharecropper until his family had moved or passed away. However, his life did not end there. At the age of 81, when he was practically homeless, he began to draw images from his memory and became "one of the most important self-taught American folk artists." Tate's story is well written and Christie's illustrations are perfect for this story of another important black artist.
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March 18, 2017Growing up as an enslaved boy on an Alabama cotton farm, Bill Traylor worked all day in the hot fields. When slavery ended, Bill's family stayed on the farm as sharecroppers. There Bill grew to manhood, raised by his own family and cared for the land and his animals. By the time has was 81, Bill was alone on his farm. So he moved to the city and began drawing the people, place and creatures from his earlier life. Today Bill Traylor is considered one of the most important self-taught American folk artists and this vivid picturebook tells his story.
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