Take Joy!: The Magical World of Tasha Tudor

After 82 years, renowned children's book illustrator Tasha Tudor has finally allowed a documentary to be made of her life and work. Her art and life seem to be interchangeable, and for once a video subtitle does not seem hyperbolic. She dresses in the style of the 1830's, cooks over an open fire in her New England farmhouse, lives by the light of candles she makes herself, milks her own goats (take that, Martha Stewart), and tends a flock of chickens and a menagerie of pets. She looks the very image of a sweet old grandmother. Her old-time lifestyle and appearance are so engaging that it comes as something of a shock when we see her in a car, driving to a book signing. Reality is what you make it, she says, quoting Thoreau's philosophy: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected. She doesn't mention that one ultimately needs a special talent in order to do that, but we do get to take a peek inside her sketchbooks at some examples of her extraordinary talent. This charming video is highly recommended for a variety of audiences. Aud: E, I, J, H, C, P. (R. Reagan)