Cindy Jenson-Elliott

I’ve always loved Ansel Adams and his photographs.

One of my favorite photos of his is The Golden Gate Before the Bridge:
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/109HM6
I love MANY of his photos!

When I had a dog I often walked by the house where he grew up in San Francisco. That house was damaged in the 1989 quake and finally was destroyed half a decade later, at least the northernmost house of the two Adams’ houses. It’s still a beautiful area (and the homes now left standing are in a very expensive sub-neighborhood.) I knew a few facts about his life as an adult but nothing much about his growing up years.

I learned a lot from this book. The book proper has a lot of biographical information included and there is a two page spread at the end with text and just three photos and a short list of Resources.

His early life was spent in the same general neighborhood where I’ve lived much of my adult life although it was very different back then and his part of the neighborhood is much more upscale. That’s especially true in recent decades since there weren’t many other home/buildings in the area back in the very early 1900s. A lot of his experiences though I shared and I could identify with his growing up activities and adventures.

I hadn’t known about Ansel’s experience in the famous 1906 earthquake and fire.

Ansel’s father was a wonderful father and I think we might have him to thank for the photos and legacy Ansel left behind. I am impressed how his father knew to get him an alternative education, give him piano lessons, take him to Yosemite when he asked and maybe most importantly give him a camera.

I appreciated the photo of the artist and that two of his photos were included at the back of the book but I’d have liked to see even more of his art. I did enjoy the illustrations and I think that they perfectly fit the subject matter. One of the first illustrations is of the San Francisco house the way it was in the early 1900s but I felt a shock of recognition and loved seeing it. I love reading books with local settings. The story is engaging and the additional information at the end geared to older kids and adults is a welcome inclusion.

I could have done without his early insect collecting but I guess I get it and it was mentioned only briefly in the book.

This is a lovely book and it’s good as an introduction to Ansel Adams’ life and work and also good for those wanting to learn more about him.

This is not a new book but I just recently found it thanks to the review by Manybooks. I’m grateful that my library had a copy that I could borrow. I really enjoyed this book.

4-1/2 stars… (meer)

I really loved this book. This book is all about Ansel Adams life story - how he spent his education outdoors, and how he became a famous nature photographer because of the opportunity his parents provided for him to learn outside. The thing that I really loved about this book though, is that this biography is not just text recalling events - Ansel's life is turned into a children's book. The author creates an engaging biography through writing about Ansel's life how Ansel saw it. It is almost as if you are reading a non-fiction story, but it is actually about someones true life story. The author's writing flows beautifully as we follow through Ansel's life, and the illustrations enhance the story in many ways; they even include Ansel's actual photographs he took himself. At the end of the story, there is an additional two-page biography going into the extensive details of Ansel's life, which I think is a great addition to the book, as it can be made useful for anyone inquiring more information on Ansel, and to validate what the story told.… (meer)

This book is about nature photographer Ansel Adams. It described Ansel's childhood and how he was always interested in nature. He noticed a lot of the little things in nature, and always wanted to be outside. When he was 14, he first traveled to Yosemite National Park. When he was older her moved there and worked outside everyday taking photos to sell. He was then commissioned by the government to sell photographs.

I would use this book with grades 2nd through fourth. This book can be used to teach about Ansel Adams, national parks, nature, and photography.… (meer)