Girls Standing on Lawns

Gr 7 Up—Vernacular photography is, as this book describes, photographs taken without artistic ambition. That is what a traditional snapshot is, or in this age of Instagram and digital photography, what it was. Who snapped the photos is unknown. The people and places are long gone, but these photographs of girls standing on lawns remain. Found, anonymous, and removed from their original context, these snapshots have now been given a new life. With text by Handler and paintings by Kalman based on snapshots from collection of the Museum of Modern Art, this is a short, beautiful, and nostalgic book. The spare text ponders the matter-of-factness depicted in the snapshots and the occasional colorful paintings are as playful as the original black-and-white source material. A girl with her arms awkwardly crossed is accompanied by the statement "My whole life I have not known where to put my hands." Another photo of a girl standing on a sidewalk instead of the nearby lawn is accompanied by the answer to the obvious but unasked question, "Because I didn't want to ruin my shoes, is why." The minimal text has the rhythm and simplicity of a children's book, but there is a thought-provoking complexity present that will appeal to teens and adults. This title can also help to inspire creativity, as the idea of using found photographs as the basis for a narrative provides endless possibilities for young adults, teachers, and programming librarians.—Billy Parrott, Mid-Manhattan Library, NYPL