Culture 5 Review - Drawing from Memory

 

Bibliographic Information

Say, A. 2011. DRAWING FROM MEMORY. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780545176866 

Plot Summary

Drawing From Memory is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As World War II raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions about his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, Drawing From Memory presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.

Critical Analysis

Allen Say’s Drawing from Memory is much more than an autobiographical picture book. It is a quiet, contemplative tribute to the power of mentorship, art, and cultural identity. The pages encapsulate his journey of becoming an artist, told through words, photographs, watercolor illustrations, drawings, and comic panels. Allen Say shares his journey of growing up in Japan after World War II and finding his voice as an artist, even when this meant stepping away from traditional expectations. Say’s illustrations move the story along, showing what life was like in Japan during the 1940s and 50s. The reader sees a young, determined boy bravely setting out to follow his passion despite the odds. For example, we see Say’s strained relationship with his father, who disapproves of his artistic ambitions. This is not just personal conflict. It is a reflection of the broader cultural tension between individual expressional and family responsibilities, particularly strong in Japanese society during the mid-20th century. 

Obviously, pictures carry significant cultural weight in this text. Say’s sketches and character studies are influenced by both Japanese culture and Western techniques. For example, the watercolor illustrations incorporate clean lines and delicate shading, which echo ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world," a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th to the 19th century. It encompasses woodblock prints and paintings depicting everyday life, landscapes, theater scenes, and other popular subjects of the Edo period. The inclusion of real life figures, like Say’s mentor Noro Shinpei, a well-known Japanese cartoonist, give the book a historical grounding and cultural authenticity. Say’s apprenticeship with Shinpei models a master/apprentice model of education. Their relationship is portrayed with humility and reverence, emphasizing the cultural value placed on discipline, loyalty, and learning by doing. 

The cultural details that Say chooses are not accidental. They shape his choices, relationships, and ultimately his identity as a Japanese American artist. In this book, Say honors his heritage while also carving out a space to grow beyond it. 

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth

*Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children's Literature at the Oregon Book Awards

*Exquisite drawings, paintings, comics and photographs balance each other perfectly as they illustrate Say’s childhood path to becoming an artist. Although its story overlaps with The Ink-Keeper’s Apprentice(1979), this visual chronicle is a fresh new wonder. It opens with a soft watercolor map of Japan on the left, framed in a rectangle, while on the right is a delicate, full-bleed watercolor of Yokohama’s seashore and fishing village, with two black-and-white photographs pasted on: Say as a child, and the stone beach wall. The early arc takes readers from Say’s 1937 birth, through family moves to escape 1941 bombings and then Say’s nigh-emancipation at age 12, when his mother supported him in his own Tokyo apartment. The one-room apartment “was for me to study in, but studying was far from my mind… this was going to be my art studio!” The art table’s drawer handle resembles a smile. Happily apprenticing with famous cartoonist Noro Shinpei, Say works dedicatedly on comic panels, still-lifes and life drawing. Nothing—not political unrest, not U.S. occupation, not paternal disapproval—derails his singular goal of becoming a cartoonist. Shinpei’s original comics are reproduced here, harmonizing with Say’s own art from that time and the graphic-novel–style panels, drawings and paintings created for this book. Aesthetically superb; this will fascinate comics readers and budding artists while creating new Say fans. - Kirkus Reviews

*Japan's most famous cartoonist, Noro Shinpei, accepted Say as an apprentice until Say immigrated to the United States in 1953. Say's account of his relationship with Noro (who later called Say "the treasure of my life") is the centerpiece of the narrative. As the story of a young artist's coming of age, Say's account is complex, poignant, and unfailingly honest. - Publishers Weekly

Connections

*Listen to this Meet-the-Author Recording with Allen Say. In this interview, Allen Say introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating Drawing from Memory. https://share.teachingbooks.net/QLYOVVK

*If you are not familiar with Allen Say’s art and stories, you might want to take a moment to check out Grandfather’s Journey (1993 Caldecott Medal), Home of the Brave, Tree of Cranes, The Lost Lake, and A River Dream, to get you started!

*Have a guest artist visit the class to talk about their craft and how they developed their skills. It would be wonderful if they could lead the class in a drawing lesson. Display the artwork in the library. Extend this lesson by inviting a cartoonist into the class. Have them talk about their craft. Hopefully, they can lead a class cartooning session, allowing students to practice their cartooning skills. Display these drawings in the library.