CHAGALL FROM A TO Z
by Marie Sellier & translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick
Chagall From A To Z ($14.95; Dec. 15, 1996; 60 pp.; 0-87226-478- 5): This little smorgasbord of Chagall (like its predecessor, Matisse from A to Z, 1995) lets readers taste bits and pieces of the dreams and flights of fantasy painted by this Russian artist. Readers gain a sense of Chagall's life in Russia, France, and the US, and of his closeness to his two wives; however, the book cheats a bit as an alphabet book—stealing W from the middle of the word clown—and is not complete enough to be a true biography. The chosen subjects are both poetic (kaleidoscope) and commonplace (chickens and geese), and together convey the stained-glass, quilted effect of Chagall's work. Small but brilliant full-color reproductions are included throughout. (Nonfiction. 8+)