Book Review: Louise Bourgeois Made Giant Spiders and Wasn’t Sorry

Gilberti cleverly selects artists who are unconventional. Their out-of-the box thinking and methods translate well to the picture book format. His characters aren’t just painting or drawing, they’re engaging in wacky and surprising creative acts. Children will delight in seeing Bourgeois create enormous sculptures, and her own childhood is well documented. After all, Maman is a tribute to her mother, a skilled weaver.

Scenes of a young Louise fixing tapestries with Josephine give heartwarming context to later creations. The story then thunders through her long art-career, stopping along the way to show some of her more eye-catching works. It naturally ends with the making of Maman, and even a picture-book retelling conveys how impressive the achievement was. Few artists ended their careers with as much showmanship as Bourgeois.