I am Mozart, too The lost genius of Maria Anna Mozart

Narrated by Maria Anna Mozart (1751--1829), known as "Nannerl," this creative nonfiction narrative offers a glimpse into the older Mozart prodigy's life, from early travels and performances with younger brother Wolfgang to their domineering father's forcing her early retirement and subsequent marriage. Ades's personal-sounding, contemporary prose focuses on Nannerl's love for both music and her brother: "Wolfie and I practiced all day./ Two bodies. Four hands. One perfect purpose." This empathically rendered portrayal of a lesser-known musical wunderkind, with fanciful gouache and digital art by Lirius that visualizes music's flow, highlights the figure's talent and passion while asking whether her legacy could have been more extensive. Back matter includes a note about creative nonfiction and artistic liberties, and more about patriarchy in 18th century Europe. Ages 4--8. (Feb.)

Discover the lost genius of Maria Anna Mozart. Ades and Lirius' picture-book biography tells the story of the older sister of great classical music composer and pianist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Maria, nicknamed Nannerl, narrates the story, recounting how her musical family life inspired her early longing to make music. During her childhood, her father taught her to play the harpsichord. She explains that "Wolfgang always wanted to do everything I did, so Papa taught him, too." Both children showed prodigious aptitude and spent years performing across Europe. However, the custom of the time precluded women from public performance, never mind musical composition, so as Nannerl grew older, her father arranged for her to marry, bringing her short-lived music career to an end. Nevertheless, Nannerl's passion for music never died. The book spends little time developing the relationships between its central characters, especially the complex one between Nannerl and her father, in reality not half so tyrannical a figure as the story makes him out to be. The narrative is rather limited in scope, omitting certain key aspects of Nannerl's biography. The prose is lyrical in its simplicity but otherwise unremarkable; the gouache and digital illustrations, however, are sublime, painted in delicate shades with whimsical touches and flowing floral scroll motifs. The backmatter explains that some liberties were taken in creating this work of "creative nonfiction" and provides biographical and reference information, including a timeline and glossary. All characters are White. Interesting enough but not particularly impactful. (Picture-book biography. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.