written by Candace Fleming
illustrated by Gérard DuBois

About the book

This picture book based on the childhood of artist and sculptor Joseph Cornell is sure to beguile aspiring artists and collectors of all ages.

Joey Cornell collected everything—anything that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. His collection grew and grew until he realized that certain pieces just looked right together. He assembled his doodads to create wonderful, magical creations out of once ordinary objects.

Perfect for introducing art to kids, here's an imaginative and engaging book based on the childhood of great American artist Joseph Cornell.

Reviews

“Joseph Cornell’s iconic boxes now reside in museums the world over, but where did the self-taught artist get his start? Fleming and Dubois endeavor to answer that question in this account of the artist’s childhood. Dubois’ charmingly old-fashioned paintings depict young Joey picking up fascinating objects around his home and neighborhood, which he keeps in an ever-growing collection. He picks up feathers, doll parts, scraps of paper, and anything that “sparked his imagination or delighted his eye,” and when he’s asked why he’d want such a thing, he always replies, “Who knows?” As Joey gets older, his collection takes up more and more room in Dubois’ illustrations. Eventually, Joey starts to see connections among all the magical, fascinating, and exotic objects, and when his family struggles with grief, he creates something wholly new and lovely to bring them some joy, too. Fleming’s emphasis on inspiration, even from the most ordinary places, should empower little ones to make art of their own. An opening author’s note adds further details about Cornell and his art.”

—Sarah Hunter, Booklist