"One of Lionni's familiar-looking mice lives in a junk-strewn attic. When Matthew visits an art gallery, he is entranced. That night Matthew dreams about walking hand in hand through 'playful patches of color.' He awakens, his inspiration stays with him and he goes on to paint great things. Lionni uses familiar collage and color techniques, but what colors! He employs bright, rich hues that stand out smartly against white backgrounds."-- "School Library Journal" (starred)
Author description
Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators' Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: "Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, " and A"lexander and the Wind-Up Mouse." Hailed as "a master of the simple fable" by the "Chicago Tribune, " he died in 1999 at the age of 89.