Review by Booklist Review
This thorough and well-researched collective biography traces the origins of the Beatles, examining John, Paul, George, and Ringo individually while also considering the dynamic relationships between them, and the qualities that would propel the band to extraordinary popularity and success. Reich connects the four portraits in a cohesive arc, offering details about the difficulties, as well as the contentments, each member of the Fab Four experienced while growing up in working class Liverpool. From absent fathers and hospitalizations to attentive girls and first guitars, concrete details bring her subjects to life. Though we get specifics about the boys as individuals, Reich concentrates on the qualities that brought them together, focusing especially on their humor, their work ethic, and their consummate musicianship. Gustavson's luminous oil paintings capture likenesses and personalities that are utterly recognizable, even when the bandmates are just little boys and teens. The comprehensive back matter includes an author's note, a glossary, endnotes, and a strong selection of sources.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-This beautiful picture book is an affectionate tribute to the Fab Four, describing their childhoods and adolescence and concluding right as they began their rise to fame. Though on the lengthy side, the text is conversational and includes details that humanize the band. As Reich states in her author's note, she's a longtime Beatles devotee, and her enthusiasm is obvious from her copious research: there are quotes from the four sprinkled liberally throughout, all cited in the back matter. Positively dripping with nostalgia, the rich oil paintings have a retro, Norman Rockwell-esque flavor, depicting classic scenes (the Beatles in their early days, kitted out in leather) as well as re-creating moments from the boys' childhood, such as John Lennon dancing with his mother, Julia. Gustavson makes expert use of shadow and light, and there are some truly striking images here. This is a gorgeous love letter to an unforgettable band, though adult fans will most likely appreciate this effort more than children. While potentially unfamiliar terms-such as Teddy boy or scousers-are defined in the glossary, they may prove off-putting to those unfamiliar with 1960s England; educators may want to provide background for readers. Pair this title with Mick Manning and Brita Granström's slightly more comprehensive The Beatles (Frances Lincoln, 2014) for a unit on Beatlemania. VERDICT An attractive offering, ideal for those seeking to introduce older elementary school students to the quartet.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Though some people think the Beatles were an overnight success, the group was actually a long time in the making. Reich follows each of the musicians before he was a Beatle -- four ordinary boys growing up amid the rubble of postwar Liverpool -- and then shows how they came together as a group. John Lennon was born in 1940 and later started a band called the Quarrymen. The guitars all right for a hobby, John, his aunt Mimi told him, but youll never make a living at it. John recruited Paul McCartney into the band, and the two started writing songs together after school. Pauls friend George Harrison, the best guitar player of the three, next joined the Quarrymen. Take away Johns bass guitar playing mate Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best, add flashy Richard Starkey (who reinvented himself as Ringo Starr), and the band -- now called the Beatles -- was complete. Starting in Germany, then crisscrossing England, playing better and better clubs, and eventually performing for royalty, the Beatles and Beatlemania were underway; the story ends with the Fab Four still in England in 1963, before their invasion of America and that famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. Gustavsons naturalistic oil illustrations capture individual band-members personalities and fans excitement, complementing the well-orchestrated text. The back matter includes an authors note, a glossary, and source notes. dean schneider(c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Four Liverpool lads determinedly dope out how to play their instruments and then make beautiful music together just in time forBeatlemania! Reich tells the oft-told tale one Beatle at a timestarting with John and ending with Ringo. She covers working-class origins, early love of rock 'n' roll, learning how to play through trial and error ("[John] didn't give a fig about wrong notes"), the formation of the Quarrymen, the watershed gig in Germany, and the release of the first singles. Gustavson (Sebastian Robertson's Rock and Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story, 2014) keeps his focus on the Fab Four (Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best, and "Mr. Martin" get name checks but no face time) and traces their visual transformation from scruffy amateurs to dapper moppets. Reich leaves them not only poised for greatness, having "poured hundreds of hours of sweat, love, and teenage energy into their music," but also "best of friends." It's an idealized picture, especially considering what came after; Kathleen Krull's The Beatles Were Fab (And They Were Funny), illustrated by Stacey Innerst (2013), covers the group's entire career, albeit in a nostalgic vein. Still, young readers may be intrigued by this grand and archetypal tale, and the closing cornucopia of Beatles books, audio, video, and websites will also help to fill in the blanks. First steps on the long and winding road. (author's note, endnotes, glossary) (Picture book/biography. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
