Books about artists and their art can be virtually unreadable when they cater only to specialists. Anne Newlands avoids this pitfall in her book about Emily Carr.This lucid and accessible introduction to Carr’s work can be appreciated by young people and adults alike.

Newlands arranges her discussion chronologically, beginning with Carr’s childhood and ending with her death. She divides the book into easily assimilated double spreads, each featuring a page or so of text and one or two illustrations of Carr’s works. In some cases, photographs of Carr or her family are featured instead of the art itself. Each section advances the story of Carr’s development as an isolated but determined female artist living, as she herself said, “on the edge of nowhere.”

Newlands does not overwhelm the reader by discussing every work that Carr produced. Instead, she carefully selects pieces that represent stages in Carr’s life and art. In fact, the great strength of this book is Newlands’ consistent focus on Emily Carr as a person whose life was filled with both defeats and triumphs. Thus, each sketch or painting is discussed in connection with an episode in Carr’s life, so that the art represents or illuminates some personal development. Excerpts from Carr’s journals and other writings are skillfully woven into the text to provide further insight. These tidbits are always a delight, since Carr was also a fine and perceptive writer. Although Newlands does not shrink from discussing Carr’s methods or her theories about art, she presents this information within a personal, human context – often using Carr’s own words – and never in the abstract. The result is a compelling narrative of the life of an unorthodox woman and artist living in an often unsympathetic age.

Although the vocabulary is not complex, the publishers may be optimistic in recommending this book for readers as young as 10. Nevertheless, Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art will be an indispensable resource for teachers and a fascinating read for literate young teens, especially those interested in Canadian art and artists.