Two Brothers, Four Hands.

 Bibliography:

Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra. 2019. Two Brothers, Four Hands. Illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Neal Porter Books. ISBN: 0823441709.

Plot Summary:

The inspiring true story of the Giacometti brothers, one an artist, the other a daredevil, both devoted to their craft . . . but even more devoted to each other.

Everyone who knew them agreed. Alberto was the genius of the family. His younger brother Diego was his opposite--he didn't care much for books or schoolwork, and he had no idea what he would be when he grew up. But despite their differences, the two brothers shared an intense bond.

Alberto Giacometti became one of the iconic artists of the twentieth century, whose tall, spindly sculptures grace the collections of museums around the world. Diego was always at his side, helping and encouraging, and in his spare time creating remarkable pieces of furniture, and works of sculpture.

This lavishly illustrated 64-page book includes extensive backmatter, complete with a timeline, source notes, photographs, and an essay on how to look at a Giacometti sculpture.

Critical Analysis:

These two men are new to me, and I found this book quite entertaining. Greenberg and Jordon did an amazing job at writing not just one biography but two. They were able to show the connection between these two brothers but also their separate stories. Alberto Giacometti couldn’t have achieved her success without his brother, Diego. Diego was often his model and helped with picking patinas and building pedestals for Alberto. Diego often would give up on his dreams to help support Alberto. You see the true love and bond of family throughout this entire book. It simply is a wonderful story about dreams these men had but also about love.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Title

A Horn Book Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

"An extraordinary achievement and a moving, affecting evocation of two lives lived together."

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

" Don’t miss this moving, brilliantly illustrated picture book portrait of brothers in art."

—School Library Journal, Starred Review

Connections:

 Teachers could use this book for a variety of lessons such as:

-       Growth Mindset- he never gave up and spent many hours, days, and years trying new things and pushing himself.

-       It could be used during a unit of studying artists.

-       In art classes you could use this text to create a timeline of Alberto Giacometti’s life as well as use the text to introduce sculptures. There are numerous art ideas on Pinterest and YouTube that you could use in guiding students to create different types of art with this book.