   | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 02/01/2020 *Starred Review* In this haunting story, Bryan recalls his experiences during WWII. His draft notice arrived when he was a 19-year-old student at Cooper Union. Since childhood, he had drawn the world around him, and he continued to sketch throughout the war, using his gas mask to hold his pencils and his art to help him “survive the brutality” around him. Growing up in Brooklyn, Byran, who is Black, had known racial prejudice but not segregation, which he encountered in the Army. His battalion served in Boston and Glasgow before facing the horrors of war on Omaha Beach. Throughout those years, he continued to draw and write letters. The letters combine with Bryan’s thoughtful text to form a vivid, personal narrative. Similarly, the sketches are accompanied by later paintings as well as black-and-white photos of the times and the places mentioned. Sometimes the drawings overlay the photos in intriguing ways. Color is used sparingly and effectively throughout the volume. Bryan’s expressive use of words and art is all the more powerful as he recalls acts of kindness as well as the segregation and racism that persisted throughout the war and even after its end. A beloved artist and writer reflects on his war and how he coped with it, by “drawing, drawing, drawing.” - Copyright 2020 Booklist. Loading...
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