Henri's Scissors

Henri's Scissors tells the story of Henri Matisse's late career, following his shift to cut-paper collage after illness made painting difficult. Written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, the book traces how Matisse began cutting shapes from brightly colored paper and arranging them into compositions, producing a new body of work in his final decade.

Winter has written numerous picture book biographies of artists and historical figures, and her approach here is characteristically spare and direct, letting the work speak rather than sentimentalizing the circumstances. The cut-outs Matisse made in his final years are now among his most celebrated pieces. Published by Simon & Schuster. For young readers interested in art, creativity, and artistic reinvention.