(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. Numerous books have been written about the forced removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII, but what sets this one apart is Partridge's focus on how three different photographers visually documented their experiences in one camp: Manzanar. Dorothea Lange, already known for her body of work during the Great Depression, took pictures for the War Relocation Authority from March to July 1942; her empathy and awareness of injustice are apparent, but many of her photos were impounded by the army. Photographer Toyo Miyatake was himself imprisoned in Manzanar from 1942–1945; he smuggled camera parts in and was able to take candid shots of people in the community as well as a few photos of forbidden things like the guard towers. Ansel Adams, famed for photographing the natural beauty of California's landscapes, came to Manzanar in fall 1943. He wanted his photos to show the prisoners as hard-working, cheerful, and resilient in preparation for their eventual release; but they suggest an overly idealized view. The other significant feature of this book is how the design incorporates the black-and-white photographs so organically that it often feels like an extended picture book. Tamaki's ink and watercolor illustrations create a cohesive whole that encompasses both the text and historical artifacts, while extending and deepening the visceral qualities of the narrative. Extensive back matter covers, among other things, biographical vignettes; careful source notes and photo credits; and essays on citizenship, civil liberties, the model minority myth, and the use of terminology to describe the camps.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah Green. In this picture book biography, Weatherford explains how Lange was "more than a photographer, she was a storyteller with a camera." Clear prose--including some zoomed-in details, such as the backstory of Migrant Mother--details the lifelong struggles, empathy, and eye-opening experiences behind Lange's photography of America's impoverished. Green's painterly illustrations, too, focus on small moments of large importance to Lange's story.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gérard DuBois. From childhood struggles in the turn-of-the-twentieth-century NYC area (including contracting polio and being raised by a single mother) to her acclaim documenting Americans' struggles during the Depression, Lange's empathy is the emotional core of Rosenstock's clipped present-tense narrative: "Dorothea sees with her eyes and her heart." DuBois's subdued acrylic and digital art aptly captures the era; six Lange photographs are appended. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 People to Know Today series. This book documents Lange's early determination to become a photographer in a largely male-dominated field and her subsequent work during the Depression and World War II. Her story is told in prosaic language, but liberal use of the subject's own photographs makes the presentation more engaging. For an older audience, Elizabeth Partridge's Restless Spirit is a more compelling biography. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer:

(3) YA Women in the Arts series. Opening with the story of the creation of Lange's most famous photograph ("Migrant Mother"), this biography then steps back to tell Lange's story chronologically, from her childhood bout with polio to her world travels later in life. Illustrations include both Lange's own work and other archival photos. Sidebars add context by profiling other artists and defining artistic movements. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) K-3 Raintree Biographies series. Plentiful reproductions of the work of each subject contribute to the cluttered design of the dryly written profiles. Each two-page section focuses on an aspect of the artist's life, and sidebars provide quotations from the artists themselves as well as cultural and artistic context. Although superficial, these books give readers a basic understanding of these pivotal figures. Timeline, reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Raintree Biographies titles: Edward Hopper, Frank Lloyd Wright, Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso, Dorothea Lange, and Maya Lin.]

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) YA Lavishly illustrated with Lange's photographs, this biography by the daughter of her photographic assistant, Ron Partridge, benefits from a handsome format and the familiarity of the author with her subject. The facts of Lange's life are cogently recorded--her unhappy childhood, her determination to succeed--and tempered with understanding. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1999