Yayoi Kusama - (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When she was little, Yayoi had an incredible vision: she saw a never-ending field of dotted flowers and felt she was melting into them. As she grew, Yayoi used art to share her experience of the world with others. She became known as the Princess of Polka Dots, amazing audiences with her dotted paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations. This incredible story of the trailblazing contemporary artist features a fact and photo section at the back"--

Book Synopsis

Learn about incredible story of Yayoi Kusama! The groundbreaking contemporary artist who covered the world in dots.

Little Yayoi grew up in Japan and loved creating art. Although her parents didn't approve of her pastime, Yayoi continued to express herself through painting and drawing. One day, at around ten years old, she had an intense vision. All of a sudden, she felt as though she was in a field of talking flowers, their heads looked like little dots going on forever and ever, and she was becoming part of them . . . This vision influenced Yayoi's art for decades to come. From drawings and paintings to sculptures and installations, she mesmerized audiences with her dot-covered creations, using her work to show others how she experienced the world.

Yayoi has been open about her mental health challenges and has helped break down inaccurate views on mental illness. In her forties, she took the decision to move into a psychiatric hospital and, from a studio nearby, she continues working--surprising and delighting audiences with each new collaboration and exhibition.

An icon who changed the world of art, Kusama's story encourages us to follow our dreams and embrace our uniqueness.

This powerful book features quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the artist's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Review Quotes

"Kusama is famous all over the world for her dot-covered artwork, and here her life is explored - from her childhood in Japan to her move to a psychiatric hospital in her 40s."

--The Bookseller

About the Author

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children's books. In 2014, she created a book for her two twin nieces for their birthday, which shortly thereafter became the first book in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. This multimillion-copy bestselling series of picture books explores the lives of outstanding people. From Mahatma Gandhi to Aretha Franklin, to Prince, Sánchez Vegara researches complex careers and makes them accessible to young children, with her unique and mindful style of writing. She works with a diverse team of illustrators to make each book lively, eye-catching and motivating. Working for more than fifteen years for clients in top advertising agencies, her books combine creativity with learning, aiming to establish a new and fresh relationship between children and pop culture. ​

Ryoko Ichikawa is Japanese illustrator based in Tokyo, Japan. Her works are expressed with simple shapes, limited number of colors, and unique balanced composition.