Robert Kraus is the author of Little Louie the Baby Bloomer and Leo
the Late Bloomer, illustrated by Jose Aruego, and the author and
illustrator of dozens of books for children. Jose Aruego's books
for young readers have earned the applause of critics, teachers,
librarians, and parents--as well as the affection of children
everywhere. Mr. Aruego's comic animals are immediately recognizable
as they cavort through clear, vibrant landscapes, carrying out the
action that the simple text has set in motion. It is a style one
reviewer has termed "illustrative mime."
Jose Aruego was born in the Philippines, where he studied law. But
after practicing briefly, he decided to come to the United States
to study graphic arts and advertising at Parsons School of Design
in New York City. After graduation, he worked in advertising before
taking up the demanding job of cartooning for The Saturday Evening
Post, The New Yorker, Look, and other magazines.
Mr. Aruego said: "Every Wednesday I would go to the cartoon editor
with fifteen or sixteen drawings in hand, from which he might
select one for publication. The tension was terrible, because
selling cartoons was how I made my living. But I learned a lot from
the rejected work, so it wasn't a waste. The sink-or-swim
experience of drawing cartoons was how I learned to make the most
of a small amount of space." Both abilities have helped him in his
career as a children's book author and illustrator, which he began
with the publication of The King and His Friends in 1969.
Although he is known for his amusing characters, Jose Aruego takes
writing and drawing for children very seriously. After more than
three dozen books he feels he is still learning his craft and
getting to know his audience. From the popularity and appeal of
Jose Aruego's books, it is obvious that he has both the artistic
skill and the imagination to reach the world of children. His work
has a distinctive rhythm, and his humorous animal characters have a
gaiety and playfulness that children adore.
"Each project teaches me something new and makes me a better
artist. Each book brings me closer to children," he said. "I have
found from making appearances at schools that when kids draw for
themselves, most of them like to make funny pictures. So I show
them how to draw an alligator. It's a simple drawing and the
teachers tell me that after my visit, Aruego alligators show up all
over the school."
As a team, Ariane Dewey and Jose Aruego have illustrated over sixty
children's books, including Little Louie the Baby Bloomer and Leo
the Late Bloomer. She lives in New York City.
In Her Own Words..."My very first memory is of dark blue walls and
off-white trim. My mother confirms this unusual baby-girl's-room
color scheme in the house where I lived until age one. Possibly
this is why one of my favorite colors is darkish blue-jean blue.
The other is brilliant orange.
"As a child I pored over Chicago's Shedd Aquarium catalog of
exotically colored fish that seemed too gaudy to be real. My mother
and I looked through art books and then sketched portraits of each
other or painted watercolors of the armloads of wildflowers we
picked. We still love to discuss the subtle juxtapositions of the
colorful scenes and objects around us.
"Art was the most enjoyable part of school. I liked to squish gobs
of finger paint on wet paper, or to write, illustrate, and bind
stories into books, or, best of all, to paint stage sets for the
school plays. I began to look at whatever I saw in terms of which
medium--oil, pastel, collage, watercolor--would best catch the mood
and texture before me. At Sarah Lawrence College I majored in
painting and sculpture. After graduation I couldn't find an auto
body shop willing to lend me space to work on welded sculptures. So
I got a job with an industrial design firm doing picture research,
among other more mundane tasks, and later became an art editor for
a textbook publisher.
"Soon after that I began writing and illustrating books for
children with Jose Aruego, whimsical books with his clever lines
and my vivid colors. Jose draws and I paint. We have illustrated
some sixty books together, some of which we have also written.
Critics have been kind, but, more important, children have been
enthusiastic both in the United States and in the many foreign
countries where our books have been published.
"My fingers finally became itchy to do my own drawings, so I
started by retelling and illustrating the stories I loved best as a
child. A mini-series of regional American tall tales enabled me to
indulge my sense of the absurd. These heros and heroines are
offbeat, upbeat, irreverent, hilarious, and a lot of fun to draw.
Since I also love research, I delight in taking on nonfiction
subjects and handling them with fantasy. Color is the basis of my
art, while writing and drawing help to describe my colorful
visions.
"Whatever the subject, I want my readers to stretch their
imaginations, to see with their minds' eyes what happens between
one picture and the next. I want to make them explore and
smile.
"I live in New York City with my husband, Claus Dannasch."
K-Gr 2 Big brother mouse evades the cat's invitations to ``come out and play.'' Monday through Friday, he helps shop, paint, wash, and so on. On Saturday, little mouse ingenuously accepts, and is rescued by big brother in dog disguise. Each day's action is introduced: ``Monday /Come out and play, little mouse.'' ``Tuesday /Come out and play, little mouse.'' The resulting jagged rhythm is broken when little mouse engages in cat-and-mouse, but action and rhythm come to a sudden conclusion on Sunday, when the mice can't play because, ``We're playing with our family.'' The plot is unresolved after a week of avoidance because the mice don't confront the cat or suggest that they will never play with him. Illustrations are vivid and busy; garish orange and red mark the sly advances of a leering cat. The landscape evokes recollections of Whose Mouse Are You? (Macmillan, 1970) and the family is familiar. However, in contrast to the simplicity and completeness of its predecessor, this title is frantic, pat, and unsatisfying. Carolyn Noah, Worcester Public Library, Mass.
Like last year's Where Are You Going, Little Mouse?, this well-designed book is in vivid color, with humorously detailed illustrations. On Monday, a wily cat says to Little Mouse, ``Come out and play.'' The mouse replies: ``I can't play today . . . ask me tomorrow.'' The cat asks daily, and Little Mouse begs off daily, with good excuses each timeshopping, painting, laundry, homework, cleaning. On Saturday, Baby Mouse responds to his request, ``My big brother's busy, but I'll play with you.'' Just as readers may have suspected, that cat has definite plans, and it looks as if he'll get his way, until a dog appears! A surprising revelationand all's well that end's well. Exciting yet reassuring fare by a talented trio. Ages 3-6. (April)
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