My four-year-old and ten-year-old absolutely love this series and get very excited when I tell them there's a new book for us to read!

We didn't know anything about Yayoi Kusama prior to reading this, so this was a perfect introduction to the life andwork of this Japanese artist. All the infrmation is presented in a way that is accessible to children, so although heavy themes such as mental health are mentioned, they are well handled. This book has the same colourful illustrations for which the series is known, this time using the artist's works as inspiration.

A recommended read for fans of modern art and fun educational reads for children.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing group for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant addition to this series of biographies for very young readers. It introduces us to an amazing artist that I had not heard of until about 4 years ago, (definitely my loss). Her work is so original, but will enthuse young children to try and create their own versions of her art.

I really like this series of books and this one is no different! I read this a few weeks ago and thought it did a really good job at keeping the life story of Kusama clear, not too intense while also keeping the true story there! Love the illustrations as always!

Inspirational tale,about how something as tiny as a dot, something so easily overlooked can actually go on to become one of the mainstays of modern art. Kusama’s story is heartbreaking but also serves within its pain and rejection the temerity to believe in one’s art is so important to one’s growth and recognition.

No one understood the little girl's need to paint dots everywhere, but she knew that everything is connected in an unending universe, and we are all one with the world. Just as her paintings came to be everywhere.
The illustrations by Ryoko Ichikawa are simple, colorful, and expressive.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group/Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Avail Feb 04, 2025 #Yayoi Kusamas #LittlePeopleBIGDREAMS by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara #ricoliro #Biography
#quartokids #flcbooks #LittlePeopleBIG DREAMS #mariaisabelsanchezvegara #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble #waterstones ***** #Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #childrensbookcouncil #ChildrensNonfiction #japanese #artist #depression #MentalIllness #polkaDots #WorldwideExhibitions #InfinityRooms

I adore the ever growing Little People, Big Dreams series.

Yayoi Kusama is an amazing Japanese artist who transends cultures and languages with her rich, vivid creative works. As always with this series the language is simple yet still tells the readers the important information about the person's life. The illustrations work seamlessy with the words to tell the story which will help readers of all abilities.

I have never heard about the artist Yayoi Kusama before, but I was very keen to learn about her life and work. In true 'Little People, BIG DREAMS' style the book is beautifully illustrated and gives a great overview of Yayoi Kusama's struggles and achievements. However I felt that it lacked a more concise timeline. It is still a great and inspiring gift for an art loving kid.

I love seeing a Little People, Big Dreams new release! I knew nothing about Yayoi Kusama before reading this book and, as is usual with books in this series, I left with an concise overview of her life. It did not shy away from mentioning her mental health journey which is great for representation and normalization. This book would be useful to schools who do art masterpiece and need a brief bio of the artist. The illustrations are cute, as always, and the page count is perfect for young readers.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Review to come at the end of January to my blog/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I was very excited about this one as I just adore Yayoi Kusama's works and I love reading about her. So I was curious about this newest addition to the Little People Big Dreams series.

And while I loved a lot of it, we learn all about Yayoi Kusama's youth, how she tried to make her dreams come true, and how she went to New York and then back home to Japan again, how she got success, and more. It was all interesting, though I knew all about it, but I felt like it glossed over her mental health problems A LOT, there were some mentions, but they made it seem like it was all nothing. I get that this is a book for children, but there is no need to gloss over it. It is a big part of Yayoi Kusama's life. So I would have liked just a bit on that.

Plus, for some reason this one also felt shorter and the sentences a bit strange/wonky. Quite often it all clicked, but here it felt like something was lost in translation, which is weird as these books are English from the start.

I did like seeing Yayoi Kusama grow up, I did love the art and love that it is done by someone from Japan (bonus points for that), I love the hopeful message at the end, and I am happy that the time line is now fully working in ARCs, I remember when I first started reading these books throughout Netgalley that the timeline was missing or the bare bones were there. Now I can read it + see some photographs of the person in question.

So I would still recommend this one, but I would also recommend checking out a bit more information in other books or online to round it a bit more.

I never knew about this artist, but my daughter told me she wanted to go to Japan and see her art. We have yet to make it to Japan, but we did make our way to The Broad in Los Angeles for its small Infinity Room where my family and I snapped a bunch of photos of ourselves enjoying the experience.

I appreciated the chance to learn about the artist. It's a bit of a sad story. I wish there was more on how the artist overcame the setbacks. Fortunately, she did and shared her art with the world.

I’ve never heard of this artist & this book is very well written and informative. I loved the illustrations except it focuses on her culture & her escape from Japan but the illustration of her doesn’t reflect what she actually looked like.

It was a joy to read otherwise.

Love the little people big dreams series. This book explores the life of artist Yayoi Kusama in a way that is appealing and approachable by kids. It is a great resource for introducing children to famous people they would not otherwise be exposed to. And as always, the art is wonderful.

Lovely as always though i did feel this was perhaps less informative than others in the series I have read. I did enjoy how dots wre incorporated into the illustrations throughout the book.

I was fascinated by this artist! I liked the way her struggles, both in terms of her career and her mental illness, were discussed in an accessible way. This will start a lot of conversations and hopefully inspire others.

I haven't been to a Yayoi Kusama exhibit yet so this was the next best thing. Enjoyed following her story as an artist in this simplified version. Like many of the Little People, BIG DREAMS books, this one has beautiful art, easy-to-understand, storytelling, and great layout. Would love a physical copy!

A short introduction to Yayoi Kusama’s life and her art. The story is told twice, first as an illustrated story then as a two page spread with photos. The illustrations are well done but I felt the book was too short to do the themes justice. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I knew briefly of Yayoi Kusama's style, but had no idea about her life and story. This is a great introduction to the artist and her biography. I absolutely loved the way the illustrator showed Kusama's work and style. I think this book also opens up some great conversations about mental health for kiddos, while keeping the tone light and approachable.

Thanks to NetGalley, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and Quarto Publishing for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own!

This was another well done book by Little People Big Dreams. I did not know a lot about Yayoi Kusama so it is a nice introduction to her life. The author did a great job touching upon depression and describing it in a kid friendly way. I would recommend that this book is in every elementary classroom library.

For people who like: non-fiction children's books about art

First sentence: "In Matsumoto, a Japanese city surrounded by mountains, lived a family who grew and sold flowers."

In five words: colorful - artist - Japan - dots - infinity

Positive points: This children's book is a very good starting point for children and adults alike to become familiar with the life and work of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Although it's rather brief (which is logical since it's a picture book), it does a good job in giving an overview of some important moments in her life and of the art which made her famous. While the author doesn't avoid heavy themes (like difficult childhood, depression, psychiatry) they are handled well and not too much in detail. This book is above all a celebration of the colorful creativity of Yayoi Kusama.

Negative points: As this was an interesting read, I just wanted to know more and more and more. So, the book was too short, but in a good way.
Even though the illustrations aren't 100% to my personal taste, I do think they're perfect for this book: they're as colorful as Yayoi's art and form a perfect complementation to the story.

More info: Almost every page will make an interested reader curious to look things up. For me that was the case with among others: Nihonga (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonga), Georgia O'Keeffe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_O%27Keeffe), Infinity Nets (https://insights.masterworks.com/art/artists/what-is-the-meaning-of-yayoi-kusamas-infinity-nets/), ...
The first time I heard of Yayoi Kusama was during a trip to Denmark, where I was Lucky enough to see her infinity room "Gleaming Lights of the Souls" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sVxo67sAd4) at the museum of modern art Louisiana. More about infinity rooms and about different artists who make them, can be found in my blog article (where a big part is dedicated to Yayoi Kusama): https://world-of-tau.blogspot.com/2021/07/infinity-rooms.html

Rating: 4,5* rounded up as this book captured the soul of Yayoi Kusama's art really well

Publication date: 04.02.2025

*Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kusama once had an exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden that I was fortunate enough to experience. It offered visitors a colorful and enjoyable walk through the grounds. So, I knew a bit about Kusama before picking up this title. I am delighted that kids will have the chance to learn about the artist through this latest in the excellent Little People, Big Dreams series.

Kids will find out why Kusama loved dots so very much. They will also see how she truly persisted in order to have the life that SHE, and not her parents, wanted for her. Reading this, kids will find out what famous artist inspired Yayoi who grew up to be an artist who has delighted so many.

Note that this book delicately comments on Yayoi's experience of depression.

The illustrations in this book are delightful. They nicely add to the experience of reading the text.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.