Polio left Dorothea Lange with a limp and the desire to disappear. Being invisible allowed her to blend into the background and see what many others did not. Deciding to be a photographer against her family’s wishes, she followed her dream and photographed people whose stories were not being told during the Great Depression. Author’s Note. Timeline.

In "Dorothea's Eyes" we get a glimpse of the artist that encapsulated some of the timeless photographs of the Great Depression. Dorothea Lange was a young girl who refused to deny the truth and was fascinated in the truth that could be seen in the faces of so many of the poor and destitute that everyone else wanted to push away. This children's book tells a courageous tale of empowerment of women and their important legacy in keeping our world sane and honest. For just like a child, Dorothea "open's her grey-green eyes. They are special eyes". ( )

I genuinely loved this book, and it’s because Barbara Rosenstock captures the essence of Dorothea Lange's heart with a few powerful words. Dorothea was invisible. The reason for this was due to the fact that she was teased for limping because of her childhood illness, polio. Dorothea develops a love for people watching, but specifically, she loves their faces. She eventually wants to capture people’s faces through photography because she believes even the ordinary, the lame, and the poor are all beautiful. Rosenstock states, “They are ashamed. They are invisible. Dorothea understands. She loves their faces. And their faces tell her camera the truth. They are good people in real trouble.” This quote had me in tears because Barbara Rosenstock did such a wonderful job capturing Dorothea’s precious soul. I loved how the illustrates fit the tone of the story. The illustrations are very ordinary and simple, with muted colors and blurry faces, but I believe that it is purposeful with the overall message of the story, ordinary beauty. This is definitely a book I will be reading to my students. ( )

Dorothea Lange was born in 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey. She became an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and for her pictures of the Japanese internment by the FDR Administration during WWII. Lange's photographs, still famous today, greatly influenced the development of documentary photography.

This book for kids tells the story of Dorothea Lange's childhood, and what led to her career later in life. Dorothea grew up alone with her mother after Dorothea's father left them when Dorothea was twelve. Dorothea already had experienced heartbreak in her life; she contracted polio when she was seven, and thereafter walked with a limp on her withered right leg. Kids taunted her, so she pretended to be invisible. She was lonely though, and passed the time by observing the details of everything that was around her.

By the time Dorothea was 18, she knew she wanted to be a photographer, and studied under photographers by doing whatever jobs they would give her. Eventually she was able to start her own portrait studio in San Francisco. She began to win wide acclaim for her skill at photography, and soon, all the richest families in California wanted portraits by her.

But Dorothea felt she should do more; she wanted to use her eyes and her heart. By this time the Great Depression had started, and what Dorothea saw all around her were people who were sad and lost. She well understood how they felt: invisible and ashamed. She took photo after photo, going out on the road to document what the effects of the Depression.

As the author reports:

“For five years, in twenty-two states, Dorothea drags through fields, climbs on cars, and crouches in the dirt to photograph people the world can’t see. The jobless. The hungry. The homeless.”

Because of Dorothea, and the style she developed, called “documentary photography” - the country saw what she saw, and her photographs helped convince the government to provide people with work, food, and safe, clean homes.

“Dorothea’s eyes,” the author concludes, “help us see with our hearts.”

In an Afterword, the author provides more background on this important artist, observing that her image “Migrant Mother” is “one of the most famous, most reproduced photographs in history.” There is also a selected bibliography, a detailed timeline, and information on where to see Lange’s pictures online.

Although most of the book is illustrated in a striking mixed-media way by Gérard DuBois, to my delight the author also includes some reproductions of some of Lange’s most famous photographs. ( )

This book is a biography about Dorothea Lange, a photographer who famously captured the struggles of the great depression with her photography. Lange is a great role model for children, as she pursued her passion despite her disability and the social norms of the day, making a career for herself and helping those were usually ignored or avoided be seen.