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BOOK REVIEW: Leo Politi: Artist of the Angels By Ann Stalcup Silver Moon Press, 2004.104 pp. www.annstalcup.com/ In Leo Politi: Artist of the Angels, Ann Stalcup tells the story of famed children's book author and artist Leo Politi. Having lived and traveled across the world before settling in Los Angeles, Politi is best known for his books about children from a variety of cultures and traditions. Born in Fresno, California, in 1908 to Italian immigrants, Politi spent his early childhood in the Central Valley before his parents decided to move back to Italy in 1914. Growing up in Broni, Italy, the young Politi was known as il piccolo Americano and became popular with the local children for his "Indian suit. . . [with] fringed shirt and pants [and] the bright feathered headdress hanging down his back…" During this time, the Politi family also spent a year in London. From 1922 to 1928, Politi studied art at the National Art Institute in Manzo, ltaly, where he graduated as a Maestro d' Arte. Politi returned to the United States in 1930 via a freighter that made stops throughout Latin America and Mexico in route to Los Angeles. During this trip, Politi "became fascinated with the Latin American way of life," inspiring him to settle eventually on Olvera Street in Los Angeles, a small street known for its Hispanic culture. From an early age, Politi had been interested in the creative arts and crafts and on Olvera Street, he began to make his living as a street artist. After several years, May Massee, an editor for Viking Press, discovered the artist and encouraged him to become a children's book illustrator and author. Politi went on to have an illustrious career, publishing over 20 books in his lifetime. In children's literature, Politi was a true pioneer. As Stalcup notes, "Leo's decision to set stories in the barrio … or in Chinatown, or in Little Tokyo was for its time a significant change. Although 'multicultural' is a common word and idea now, it wasn't when Leo first started writing books." The following titles, still in print, will introduce your children or grandchildren to Leo Politi and his work: 1. Leo Politi: Artist of the Angels: Stalcup's biography is an excellent place to start. Filled with a love for the artist and his work, Stalcup has written a book filled with reminisces, interviews, photos, and, most importantly, many colored illustrations from Politi's many books 2. Song of the Swallows (1949) is the most famous of Politi's books, having won a Caldecott Medal. It tells the story of the swallows of San Juan Capistrano through the eyes of the mission's gardener, Juan, and a young boy, Julian. 3. Pedro, the Angel of Olvera Street (1946) focuses on the Los Posadas procession, a Mexican-American Christmas tradition and, as with most of Politi's books is filled with wonderful illustrations and a child's eye view of the events. Many of Politi's other titles are out of print but can be found at online booksellers or used book stores. Moy Moy tells the story of a Chinese girl who participates in the celebration of Chinese New Year in Los Angeles. The Butterflies Come is about the butterflies that migrate to the Monterey Peninsula every year. Little Leo is the author's biography of his early years in California and Italy. A Boat for Pepe is set in an Italian-American fishing community of Monterey and recounts the festival for the fishermen's patron saint, Rosalia. St. Francis and the Animals tells of St. Francis' friendship with various animals. Bunker Hill focuses on the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles and is one of the author's few books for adults. Leo Politi's love and appreciation for children of all cultures comes through all of his books and reminds this reader of Christ's special love for children. Leo Politi died in 1996 after leaving behind a legacy of books that children of all ages can enjoy. To celebrate this author and artist's work, the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial Celebration will hold many events throughout California, beginning with a Pico House exhibit in late January which will feature never before seen Leo Politi paintings, sculptures and more. For information on the Leo Politi 2008 Centennial Celebration events in your area, visit http://www.leopoliti2008centennial.org/. I must thank ICF member Fred De Rienzo for introducing me to Leo Politi's work. He mentioned to me that Fresno's Friends of the Politi Library is asking for help in purchasing sets of Politi's books for Fresno schools and libraries. If you or your branch would like to help out with this worthy cause, please contact Linda Scambray at 559-431-3110 or scam4@comcast.net Or your branch may want to consider working with a local public school or Catholic school library to furnish them with Politi's titles. Italian Catholic Federation, 675 Hegenberger Road, Suite 230, Oakland CA 94621 tel: 888/ICF-1924; 510/633-9058; fax: 510/633-9758; Email: info@icf.org Website designed by HYPERSPHERE