From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-With an excellent-quality, full-color reproduction of Carr's work facing every page of text, this is a gorgeous look at the Canadian artist's life at the turn of and during the early part of the 20th century. Carr visited the Native peoples of the Northwest and was inspired to paint their world, leaving a record of their spirituality and artifacts. Her unusual subjects, travels, and frustrations are related chronologically. The text is written in small type; the size of the plates will work well with groups. While Bogart includes elements of "Emily thought" this or that, this type of extension is reasonable given the many journals and writings that Carr left behind. Newhouse's pen-and-ink drawings add a sense of the artist's personality but are sometimes awkward in execution. Not a first purchase, but a worthy consideration.Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-8. Carr was an eccentric Canadian artist who gained recognition in the early half of the twentieth century for both her writings and artwork, much of which depicts the art and daily lives of Pacific Coast native people. In this picture-book biography for older readers, Bogart follows her iconoclastic subject through childhood, early artistic struggles, lifelong battles with health, adventurous painting trips into the Canadian wilderness, and, finally, widespread recognition late in life. The straightforward, sometimes sophisticated language doesn't always capture the details that will interest young readers most. But Bogart carefully shows both the admirable artist and the difficult, complicated human behind the work, including enough detail to support reports. On each spread, Newhouse's small, appealing ink drawings of Carr appear opposite sharp reproductions of Carr's work. Art students and children looking for report topics for women's history assignments will want this, as will any reader interested in Canadian history. A time line and an extensive bibliography (of mostly adult titles) are appended. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
“With an excellent-quality, full-color reproduction of Carr’s work facing every page of text, this is a gorgeous look at the Canadian artist’s life…”
–School Library Journal

“This beautiful biography…will interest a wide variety of readers…. The finely detailed line drawings…by folk artist Maxwell Newhouse capture the very essence of Emily’s appearance, her charming pets and her vigorous creativity. The text is thoughtful, sensitive and respectful…. Jo Ellen Bogart is able to give the reader a glimpse into the creative heart of an artist and let readers know about the person in a very accessible and readable book… Highly Recommended.”
–CM Magazine

“…a crisply written biography, filled with well-chosen detail…. Folk artist Maxwell Newhouse supplies airy, whimsical pen-and-ink line drawings that provide a nice contrast to the brooding intensity of Carr’s oils.”
–Quill & Quire

“…excellent…. Illustrator Maxwell Newhouse has complemented the full-color reproductions of Carr’s work with folksy drawings featuring scenes of her life.”
–Toronto Sun

“…an accessible biography of an extraordinary artist, enhanced by lovely reproductions of her paintings, and by Maxwell Newhouse’s appealing folk art sketches…. [A] fascinating account…”
–BookLoons Reviews

Review
?With an excellent-quality, full-color reproduction of Carr?s work facing every page of text, this is a gorgeous look at the Canadian artist?s life??
?School Library Journal

?This beautiful biography?will interest a wide variety of readers?. The finely detailed line drawings?by folk artist Maxwell Newhouse capture the very essence of Emily?s appearance, her charming pets and her vigorous creativity. The text is thoughtful, sensitive and respectful?. Jo Ellen Bogart is able to give the reader a glimpse into the creative heart of an artist and let readers know about the person in a very accessible and readable book? Highly Recommended.?
?CM Magazine

??a crisply written biography, filled with well-chosen detail?. Folk artist Maxwell Newhouse supplies airy, whimsical pen-and-ink line drawings that provide a nice contrast to the brooding intensity of Carr?s oils.?
?Quill & Quire

??excellent?. Illustrator Maxwell Newhouse has complemented the full-color reproductions of Carr?s work with folksy drawings featuring scenes of her life.?
?Toronto Sun

??an accessible biography of an extraordinary artist, enhanced by lovely reproductions of her paintings, and by Maxwell Newhouse?s appealing folk art sketches?. [A] fascinating account??
?BookLoons Reviews

Book Description
The brilliant artist Emily Carr lived at the edge. When she was born, in 1871, Victoria, British Columbia was a small, insular place. She was at the edge of a society that expected well-bred young ladies to marry. For years, she was at the edge of the world of artists she longed to join.

Emily Carr’s life was not an easy one. She struggled against a family that did not approve of her art and against poor health. She found her pleasures in her many pets – a Javanese monkey named Woo, parrots, and many beloved dogs. Later, she would meet the artists of the Group of Seven and among them find her soul mates.

When illness put a stop to her painting, she found expression and comfort in her writing. Her book Klee Wyck received Canada’s highest literary honor – the Governor General’s Award.

Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World is an introduction to this remarkable artist and her paintings.

From the Inside Flap
Selected as Honour Book by the Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book of the Year

The brilliant artist Emily Carr lived at the edge. When she was born, in 1871, Victoria, British Columbia was a small, insular place. She was at the edge of a society that expected well-bred young ladies to marry. For years, she was at the edge of the world of artists she longed to join.

Emily Carr’s life was not an easy one. She struggled against a family that did not approve of her art and against poor health. She found her pleasures in her many pets – a Javanese monkey named Woo, parrots, and many beloved dogs. Later, she would meet the artists of the Group of Seven and among them find her soul mates.

When illness put a stop to her painting, she found expression and comfort in her writing. Her book Klee Wyck received Canada’s highest literary honor – the Governor General’s Award.

Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World is an introduction to this remarkable artist and her paintings.

About the Author
Jo Ellen Bogart is the author of many best-selling children’s books including Jeremiah Learns to Read, Daniel’s Dogs, and Gifts. She has degrees in elementary education and psychology from the University of Texas and now writes full time. Jo Ellen Bogart has won the Ruth Schwartz Award and has been short-listed for the Mr. Christie’s Book Award. Born in Houston, Texas, she now lives in a pet-filled home in Guelph, Ontario.

Maxwell Newhouse is one of the country’s most accomplished folk artists. His first picture book was Laura Secord: A Story of Courage written by Janet Lunn. Maxwell Newhouse lives in Cultus Lake, British Columbia.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The brilliant artist Emily Carr lived at the edge. When she was born, in 1871, Victoria, British Columbia was a small, insular place. She was at the edge of a society that expected well-bred young ladies to marry. For years, she was at the edge of the world of artists she longed to join.

Emily Carr's life was not an easy one. She struggled against a family that did not approve of her art and against poor health. She found her pleasures in her many pets – a Javanese monkey named Woo, parrots, and many beloved dogs. Later, she would meet the artists of the Group of Seven and among them find her soul mates.

When illness put a stop to her painting, she found expression and comfort in her writing. Her book Klee Wyck received Canada's highest literary honor – the Governor General's Award.

Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World is an introduction to this remarkable artist and her paintings.

SYNOPSIS

Selected as Honour Book by the Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book of the Year

The brilliant artist Emily Carr lived at the edge. When she was born, in 1871, Victoria, British Columbia was a small, insular place. She was at the edge of a society that expected well-bred young ladies to marry. For years, she was at the edge of the world of artists she longed to join.

Emily Carr’s life was not an easy one. She struggled against a family that did not approve of her art and against poor health. She found her pleasures in her many pets – a Javanese monkey named Woo, parrots, and many beloved dogs. Later, she would meet the artists of the Group of Seven and among them find her soul mates.

When illness put a stop to her painting, she found expression and comfort in her writing. Her book Klee Wyck received Canada’s highest literary honor – the Governor General’s Award.

Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World is an introduction to this remarkable artist and her paintings.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Young

Emily Carr was certainly someone who was well ahead of her time. This biography could have been written about an artist today and it still would have been as extraordinary and 'on the edge.' It was quite an accomplishment for anyone, let alone a single woman, to travel extensively and be successful in the 19th century. Growing up in British Columbia she might even be considered an early Canadian feminist. Emily Carr's journey was hardly easy. Orphaned at the age of 16, and under the supervision of her eldest sister, Emily longed to study art in Europe. That just wasn't the 'proper' thing for ladies to do. Finally granted permission from the family guardian, Emily studied the basics of art and gained the confidence to teach others, mainly children back on the family farm, after three years abroad. After returning home, her desire was to preserve the western Canadian heritage. Her drawings of totem poles, community houses and Native villages along the British Columbian coast reflected this desire. While this is a life of eventual success, it is also one of failures, illness and disappointments—all of which Emily overcame with time. Some might have considered her eccentric, or perhaps that is just the way all great artists are. Either way this account of her life is a great addition to biography and art collections. Reproductions of her work appear on most of the right-hand leaves, with explanatory text and complementary descriptive illustrations by Newhouse opposite. This is extremely well written with a comfortable flow that will attract everyone who reads about this unique woman. Do not limit this to the study of art and artists! It is a grand account of independence, creativity anduniqueness in the life of one person. 2003, Tundra Books, Ages 9 to 12.

School Library Journal