Picture-book biographies pack a lot of facts into a large, illustration-filled format, offering an enticing package for kids.
Here's a look at some great new picture-book biographies:
-- In "Finding Susie" (Knopf, $16.99), former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor delivers a slice of autobiography that will interest any child who's ever wanted a pet. Drawn from O'Connor's own childhood, the story centers on young Sandra's unsuccessful efforts to tame several wild animals -- including a bobcat. Then one day, she's offered a stray dog named Susie, and Sandra knows she's finally found the perfect pet. O'Connor's story moves along nicely, while the illustrations by Tom Pohrt reflect the stark beauty of the Arizona ranch where the first woman on the nation's highest court grew up. (Ages 4-8.)
-- Author Jonah Winter has just published two very different picture-book biographies. In "The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert & Sullivan" (Scholastic, $16.99), Winter tells how a quarrel between two friends resulted in some of the world's most popular musicals. The brightly colored, stylized illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Richard Egielski add further energy to Winter's tale. (Ages 5-8.)
Winter's other picture-book biography borrows the style of its subject -- writer Gertrude Stein -- to tell her story. Titled "Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude Is Gertrude" (Atheneum, $16.99), the book will intrigue children as they work to understand just why the author keeps repeating phrases and why some words are printed in large type while others are in small type. Calef Brown's quirky illustrations, suffused with color, perfectly complement this whimsical look at a unique author. (Ages 7-10.)
-- It took years for Wanda Gag to become a successful artist, given that she had to help raise her siblings when her parents died. Then, in 1929, Gag's first children's book, "Millions of Cats," won a Newbery Honor, launching her children's-book career. In "Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Loved to Draw" (Viking, $16.99), author-illustrator Deborah Kogan Ray tells the story of a woman who is credited with creating the first modern picture book. With a text drawn partly from Gag's own words and illustrations reminiscent of her artwork, Ray's book captures Gag's long, difficult journey to becoming an artist, showing how hard work, plus a bit of luck, can help people achieve their dreams. (Ages 7-10.)
-- Author Shana Corey and illustrator Edwin Fotheringham team up to create a splashy look at an adventurous woman named Annette Kellerman in "Mermaid Queen" (Scholastic, $17.99). Now largely forgotten, Kellerman was a celebrity in the early 20th century, best known as the creator of water ballet and as a fashion revolutionary who championed more modern bathing suits for women. Corey's entertaining yet fact-filled text, in which some words and phrases are printed in larger type for emphasis, will have readers cheering Kellerman's courage. Fotheringham's digital media illustrations further spotlight Kellerman's zest for living. (Ages 7-10.)
(Note: For a look at another plucky heroine, check out "The Daring Miss Quimby" (Holiday House, $16.95, ages 5-8), written by Suzanne G. Whitaker and illustrated by Catherine Stock.)
-- In "The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau" (Knopf, $16.99), author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino helps young readers experience the marvelous watery world that so captured the imagination of the famous explorer. Yaccarino's brief text is straightforward, while his eye-catching illustrations, painted in gouache and then airbrushed, are steeped in the colors and forms of the sea. Yaccarino includes an ending note with a time line of Cousteau's life, plus sources for those readers who want to know more about this underwater pioneer. (Ages 5-8.)
-- Author Kathryn Lasky paints a riveting portrait of artist Georgia O'Keeffe, compressing many different events in her life into a single day, in "Georgia Rises" (FSG, $16.95). Lasky's lyrically written text allows readers to understand O'Keeffe's creative genius. Meanwhile, the outstanding illustrations by Ora Eitan vividly reference O'Keeffe's art while retaining Eitan's own style. (Ages 6-10.)
Here are a few other good picture-book biographies:
-- Author-illustrator Diane Stanley details the story of a musical genius in "Mozart: The Wonder Child" (HarperCollins, $17.99, ages 7-10).
-- Josef Albers may not be a household name, but he changed the way we see colors as author Natasha Wing and illustrator Julia Breckenreid show in "An Eye For Color" (Henry Holt, $16.99, ages 6-10).
-- Author Kathleen Krull and illustrator Greg Couch present an insightful look at an unusual character in "The Boy Who Invented TV" (Knopf, $16.99, ages 7-10).
-- In "Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi" (Henry Holt, $16.99, ages 7-10), author Rachel Rodriguez explores how the architect used the shapes and colors of his Catalonian childhood to create revolutionary architecture. Julie Paschkis' illustrations underscore the beauty of Gaudi's creations.
(Karen MacPherson, the children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park, Md., Library, can be reached at Kam.Macpherson(at)gmail.com.)
CHILDREN'S CORNER
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