Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World

February 15, 2023
A glimpse into the passion to create as manifested in the marriage of two 20th-century dynamos. The protagonists, both White, are introduced as young adults, their likenesses framed on the wall. Christo is "a poor refugee...whose father once ran a fabric factory," while Jeanne-Claude is "the rich stepdaughter of a French general." They meet when Christo arrives at Jeanne-Claude's parents' home to paint their portraits. Witty repartee turns into genuine interest; she comprehends the meaning of the wrapped objects in his apartment: "It's revealing--while concealing." Thus begins a love affair with each other and with implementing large-scale projects to help people see. Many installations are depicted, but Neri focuses more on the reasons for temporarily wrapping buildings, coastlines, islands--art as an experience to live on in memory, as a "scream of freedom," or, as a young visitor to the fabric-ensconced L'Arc de Triomphe (2021) declares, "Because when you wrap something, it's a gift." An author's note explains the combination of actual and invented dialogue. The palette is fairly muted, with the figures often portrayed in silhouettes or viewed from the back--a choice pairing well with the topic of coverings. This title complements Elisa Boxer's Covered in Color (2022), illustrated by Susanna Chapman, which provides more background about Christo as well as photographs. Background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Thoughtful design and substantive content speak volumes about how to appreciate modern art--and its creators. (fun facts, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)

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April 15, 2023
Grades 1-4 Christo met Jeanne-Claude in 1950s Paris when he was hired to paint her rich family's portrait. But that "old style" of work didn't interest him: instead he loved transforming everyday objects by wrapping them in paper and fabric, a project many couldn't understand. Jeanne-Claude understood though, and the two embarked on wrapping objects together. "People loved it or hated it. They got it or they didn't," explains Neri, as the book follows the artists from wrapping small objects to huge projects, such as the German parliament building. The narrative stays lively by featuring a conversation between the artists, showing their passion for their work and the joy they found in reactions to it--an afterword explains that some of these conversations are fiction based on their ideas (related notes are provided). Haidle's watercolors do a striking job of illustrating Christo and Jeanne-Claude's lives and their work, offering a kind of catalog alongside the story. Compared to other children's works about this duo, this one provides a more, and welcome, serious-toned look at the artists and their astonishing creations.

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April 28, 2023

Gr 2-5-Art comes in many forms and its creators can be enigmatic and misrepresented by others. The work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude may be unfamiliar to most young readers but the challenge of defining art and the artist is always a worthy exploration. The life and creations of this enigmatic couple are the subjects of this book, which covers the nature of art and its role in society. Using imagined dialogue to bring the subjects to life, the questions and challenges of understanding their creations are placed squarely in the center of this text. The work they produced (and that is still being produced after their deaths) may be hard for some to understand but young readers will enjoy the spirit of the artists as they refused to conform to convention and challenged notions of art and creativity. The illustrations, done in mixed media and finished digitally, capture the complicated, challenging, wide-ranging world of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, their lives, process, and creations. Back matter includes further details, a fascinating collection of "fun facts," and additional resources. VERDICT A fascinating look into the creative process, this title is worthy of addition to most collections for its biographical material as well as its value for engaging young people in a discussion about the nature of art and the artistic process.-John Scott

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 17, 2023
He was a poor refugee from Eastern Europe and she was the wealthy stepdaughter of a French general, but upon meeting, Christo (1935–2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935–2009) were each immediately drawn to the other’s rebellious spirit. They soon became artistic partners, engaged in a constant conversation with each other and the world about the meaning of their art. About their material-wrapped objects, monuments, and landscapes: “People loved it or hated it. They got it or didn’t. For Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the arguments only added to the art,” Neri writes. Haidle’s vivacious, stylized mixed-media illustrations underscore a sense of the duo’s energy, inquisitiveness, and determination; the visuals, which portray background characters with varying skin tones, culminate with expansive spreads depicting the couple’s remarkable, ephemeral outdoor work. It’s a wonderful tribute to coupledom, collaboration, and creativity that offers conceptual thoughts about art: “When people had only two weeks to experience it, it became even more special. Was it really ever there, or was it all a dream?” A brief biography and author’s note conclude. Ages 6–9.

Starred review from March 1, 2023
In his author's note, Neri (When Paul Met Artie, rev. 3/18) mentions that he met Christo and Jeanne-Claude briefly in the early 2000s and was able to interview Christo before the artist's 2020 death. This enlightening picture-book biography is infused with the author's respect for the unorthodox couple and their artistic legacy. The book focuses on the husband and wife's symbiotic creative partnership. As Neri tells it, when Jeanne-Claude first encounters Christo's small-scale (at the time) wrapped sculptures, her questions could be our own: "Why are you wrapping these silly objects in cloth and rope?" As she comes to understand Christo's vision and mission, readers do too. The dialogue-heavy text itself is a creative risk that pays off. Neri explains that, while some dialogue is from quotations, "as a narrative device, I've put their ideas into the context of a conversation to illustrate their back-and-forth...and highlight the concepts they played with." Haidle's (Before They Were Artists) energetic mixed-media illustrations in an understated earth-tone palette help convey the interactive spirit of the text and reflect art's relationship with the natural world. Read alongside Boxer's Covered in Color: Christo & Jeanne-Claude's Fabrics of Freedom (rev. 11/22); each book brings a different approach to its subjects. A bibliography and "fun facts" about the artists are appended. (Source notes for the quotations are listed on the author's website.) Kitty Flynn

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
In his author's note, Neri (When Paul Met Artie, rev. 3/18) mentions that he met Christo and Jeanne-Claude briefly in the early 2000s and was able to interview Christo before the artist's 2020 death. This enlightening picture-book biography is infused with the author's respect for the unorthodox couple and their artistic legacy. The book focuses on the husband and wife's symbiotic creative partnership. As Neri tells it, when Jeanne-Claude first encounters Christo's small-scale (at the time) wrapped sculptures, her questions could be our own: "Why are you wrapping these silly objects in cloth and rope?" As she comes to understand Christo's vision and mission, readers do too. The dialogue-heavy text itself is a creative risk that pays off. Neri explains that, while some dialogue is from quotations, "as a narrative device, I've put their ideas into the context of a conversation to illustrate their back-and-forth...and highlight the concepts they played with." Haidle's (Before They Were Artists) energetic mixed-media illustrations in an understated earth-tone palette help convey the interactive spirit of the text and reflect art's relationship with the natural world. Read alongside Boxer's Covered in Color: Christo & Jeanne-Claude's Fabrics of Freedom (rev. 11/22); each book brings a different approach to its subjects. A bibliography and "fun facts" about the artists are appended. (Source notes for the quotations are listed on the author's website.)

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)