✴️ Have you ever seen a Chihuly glass exhibit? They can be found in art museums, casinos, and even botanical gardens. You are probably familiar with Chihuly glass even if you didn’t know that is what it is called. Today’s children’s picture book is all about Dale Chihuly, the artist behind the stunning glass sculptures.

✴️ As expected in a biography about the artist behind these stunning and vibrant sculptures, this book exudes a kaleidoscope of color!

✴️ Readers will learn about Chihuly’s childhood, including losing his brother and father at a young age. As a young adult he traveled to France where he was fascinated by everything he saw, including the beautiful stained-glass windows in churches. Inspired, Chihuly journeyed into the world of glassblowing.

✴️ One of the most inspirational aspects of Chihuly’s life is the resilience he demonstrated after losing vision in one eye due to a car accident at the age of 35. Despite this setback, he didn’t allow it to hinder his creative pursuits. In fact, his loss of depth perception led him to break away from traditional glassblowing techniques. He began experimenting with more organic and asymmetrical forms, ultimately shaping the distinctive Chihuly glass art we admire today.

✴️ I love reading about creative people who chase their dreams and persevere.

Thank you @Netgalley and Sasquatch Books/Little Bigfoot for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I love this gorgeous picture book about the life of Dale Chihuly! I've been a longtime admirer of his glass work and recently visited the Glass Museum in Tacoma, Washington, the city where Dale grew up. I enjoyed reading how Dale learned about glass work and gained an education and experience that propelled him into his brilliant career. A Flash of Color and Light is vibrant with color and dreams. A fascinating read. Two thumbs up!

This beautifully illustrated picture book is the perfect introduction to Dale Chihuly for young people. The watercolor illustrations masterfully capture Chihuly’s aesthetic and love of color. The text shares the challenges that he overcame with resilience, optimism, and fellowship. I also love that the story often returns to Dale’s belief that mistakes were important because they allowed him to be creative, take risks, and make new discoveries.

Dale Chihuly is a magician who transforms ordinary sand into extraordinary art. His large-scale glass sculptures are simply breathtaking. With installations around the world, his work is a must-see for any art lover. If you haven't experienced his artistry firsthand, a quick online search will leave you utterly captivated.

For a deeper dive into Chihuly’s life and work, A Flash of Color and Light by Sharon Mentyka is a wonderful starting point. This beautifully illustrated book introduces young readers to the artist, following his journey from a Tacoma boy to a globally renowned glass master. It’s fascinating to learn about his studio life and the evolution of his artistic vision.

While the book’s illustrations are stunning and the story engaging, I found the singular focus on Chihuly’s art to be somewhat limiting. A statement declaring glassblowing as the ultimate life pursuit feels disproportionate in a narrative that also highlights friendship, family, and teamwork.

Nevertheless, A Flash of Color and Light is a visually captivating book that will undoubtedly inspire readers to explore Chihuly’s work further.

A very colourful biography of an artist who has gained popularity in classrooms over the past several years. This biography is written and illustrated beautifully and would be a great addition not only to art lessons, but to writing lessons and libraries.

A beautiful addition to any library's picture book biography collection, A Flash of Color and Light is sure to interest young readers in the art of glass and encourage creative experimentation everywhere! The clever way in which the illustrations echo the text and immerse the reader in the artistic experience of Dale Chihuly is particularly engaging, creating a world of soft focus and grey swirls until brilliant color and detail is introduced through glass and the natural elements that form the heart of Dale's work. Meanwhile, the text brings readers the perfect balance of stunning art and collaborative artist, emphasizing that teamwork and resilience are a part of the artistic process and encouraging young artists to continue creating through the inevitable mess and mistakes of life.

Informational elements are worked through the book, introducing readers to the technical (as well as the creative) side of glass blowing, and the timeline and glossary at the end provide a wonderful jumping off point for further learning. While perhaps too wordy for a conventional story time, when paired with a book like A Thousand Glass Flowers by Evan Turk, A Flash of Color and Light would make a fantastic foundation for a library, museum, or school based art program. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this amazing arc and I look forward to adding this volume to our collection.

Such a great picture book biography! The colors were amazing. I've admired Chihuly's art for years, so it was fascinating to learn about his life and career.

I didn’t know anything about glassblowing or Dale Chihuly before reading this book, but found it so interesting. I love that this book will be able to introduce children to an art form they may have never even heard of before.

The art in the book is lovely, and I absolutely love the colours used. This is a beautiful book about an awe inspiring art form.

This was a unique biography for me because I had never read about a glassblower before. It's so interesting, because glass is so fragile and the creations are so beautiful! This book has gorgeous illustrations that use the same kinds of colors I've seen at glassblowing shops. I highly recommend this so kids can learn about this unusual skill by a remarkable person. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

"A Flash of Color and Light" is a fantastic biography of Dale Chihuly, perfect for kids! 🌈 The illustrations are stunning watercolor designs that beautifully complement Chihuly's art and style. 🎨

It's packed with history about Chihuly and glassblowing, making it detailed for a picture book. 📚 I wondered if most kids would stay engaged, but the breathtaking illustrations are sure to captivate them! 😲

This picture book biography not only has gorgeous artwork but also shares the story of Chihuly's life and achievements in the art world. 🌟 The author even explains the science behind glassblowing and Chihuly's techniques in a clear and engaging way. 🔍

Perfect for elementary-aged kids and beyond, this book is a must-read for budding artists and curious minds alike! 👧👦📖

This is, overall, a very engaging book about an art form that has been too little covered in children's biographical literature. Even so, I lament that it occasionally changes tense - from past to present - at peculiar moments and does not define "centrifugal force" in the glossary except in relation to glassblowing. It is presumed that the reader is already familiar with the physical concept of centrifugal force.

This picture book biography has beautiful illustrations, and it tells the story of Dale Chihuly's life and accomplishments in the art world. The author introduces some of the science behind glassblowing, and explains some of Chihuly's techniques very clearly. I would recommend this for elementary-aged kids and up.

A Flash of Color and Light is a wonderful biography of Dale Chihuly's life for children. The illustrations are gorgeous watercolor designs that perfectly accent the Chihuly's art and style.

I learned a lot of history about Dale Chihuly, and glassblowing in general. It was very detailed for a picture book, and I did wonder if most kiddos would have the attention span to learn that much about Chihuly. However, the illustrations were breathtaking and are sure to keep them engaged.

Thanks to Sharon Mentyka, NetGalley, and Sasquatch Book for the chance to review this one!

I have read the Sue Bird book from this same series but this blows that one away. Dale Chihuly's life is fascinating and as a Tacoma resident, I am thrilled to read about him in the form of a picture book I can share with my students!

The illustrations in this book are spell binding and the writing is well done and charming.

I cannot wait to add this to my library, I wish it were released sooner than October and I plan on nominating it as a Washington Towner Award book for students in grades 2-6.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sasquatch Books, and Little Big Foot for the eARC! I hope this book is as beautiful in print!

Wow what a journey it is. This book gives out the story of a glass blower artist that is inspiring to kids. It's a bit long for kids 5 to 7 if they're the one who will read it, but is so rewarding once you finish it. Every part of the artist is presented here to show his struggle and triumph. One thing that stand out in this which I didn't expect is the lesson on team work. Well that's just part of the story. The art is superb, colorful and eye candy for kids.

This is a wonderful book that would introduce older children to a different art medium. They wouldn't be able to actually make glass flowers, but it might stir something inside. Meanwhile I do hope that paper flower making by schoolchildren is still practiced. This book starts with the artist as a little boy and follows him through to finding of his love for glass. it tells of his courage when he loses those dear to him and also when he has an accident that would set most people back. I have seen Dale Chihuly's work at his Garden and Glass Museum in Seattle and it is breathtaking. I thank NetGalley and Sasquatch books for the advance read!

I absolutely loved this book about Dale Chihuly's life!! The use of color was fantastic throughout the book and explained a lot about how blown glass is made. It was beautiful to look at and interesting to read.