Action Jackson

Today marks the birthday of Jackson Pollock, the American painter born in 1912 in Cody, Wyoming. Killed in an automobile accident in 1956, Pollock struggled with alcoholism and depression and has been the subject of hundreds of adult studies, biographies, and movies. Given his lifestyle, he does not seem a natural subject for a picture book for the six to ten set.

Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan’s Action Jackson demonstrates how great narrative nonfiction writers for children can take an unlikely subject and make it fascinating. They do so, in part, by focusing on the process Pollock used to create his artwork. Process is something that children can understand — because they themselves enjoy creating art.

The book focuses on the two months in 1950 when Pollock painted Lavender Mist, now in the National Gallery of Art. Drawing from primary source material, particularly interviews of those who knew Pollock well, the lyrical text shows him taking a canvas, placing it on the floor of his barn, and using his entire body to create a masterpiece. “His eyes move up and down, back and forth. With light steps, he follows the sweep of his brush . . . ‘The painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through.’ ”

An excellent bibliography, footnotes, and source notes round out this volume, illustrated with the vigorous watercolors of Robert Andrew Parker. In them Pollock dances and swoops and fashions his art with energy and passion.

Sandra Jordan worked for many years as a children’s book editor. While at Farrar Straus and Giroux she published a book by Jan Greenburg, who taught art appreciation to children. The two became friends. When Sandra left publishing to create her own books, they began their collaboration. Both do extensive research. They argue through the fine points of the text. Both have a passion for getting details right and still telling a compelling story. In the case of Action Jackson, they had written the story about another painting—only to discover while the book was being vetted that this canvass had not been created in Jackson’s barn, even though many eyewitness accounts claimed so. They went back and redid the text to make it accurate. Sometimes a Greenberg/Jordan text can undergo forty to fifty revisions.

The results, however, are well worth it. You can trust their books—for the accuracy and child-centered approach. Not only will children get educated about art and the creative process, but adults using this book will also learn a lot as well.

Here’s a page from Action Jackson: