Anneographies » December

December 31 Birthday: Henri Matisse

Anne — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:52:56 +0000

Henri Matisse, artist

Dec. 31, 1869-Nov. 3, 1954

A Bird or Two: A Story About Henri Matisse by Bijou Le Tord (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 1999)

This tribute to the French artist, known as the father of modern art, focuses on Matisse’s later years, when he lived in Nice and was inspired by its extraordinary light.

View a collection of Matisse art and a bio at the WebMuseum, Paris.

December 30 Birthday: Bo Diddley

Anne — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:46:49 +0000

Bo Diddley, musician

Dec. 30, 1928-June 2, 2008

Shake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)

A double page spread in this collective bio is devoted to rocker, Bo Diddley. This artist played the violin as a child, and then switched to the guitar as a teen. He is credited with the invention of a thump-thump-a beat on the guitar.

Read more about Bo Diddley at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

December 29 Birthday: Andrew Johnson

Anne — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:44:56 +0000

Andrew Johnson, U.S. President

Dec. 29, 1808-July 31, 1875

Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)

A tailor by profession, this was our only president who could quilt. He was number 17.

You can read Johnson’s State of the Union Address on the Project Gutenberg site.