December 8th 2020 by Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books
E ARC provided by Netgalley
This picture book offers a very brief overview of Lennon's life, concentrating on key moments and on the philosophy of his views that drive his greater impact. It discusses the formation of the Beatles and his career within it, and also mentions his career afterwards. His desire for peace and his efforts working toward it are highlighted. Several pages at the end of the book are dedicated to a timeline and more details about his life, and have photographs. This is merely an introduction, aimed at the youngest readers, and leaves out many key points, including Lennon's death at the hands of a shooter. This series of 54 titles covers well known historical figures, such as Mother Theresa and Gandhi, but also includes some lesser known figures such as Zaha Hadid and Emmeline Pankhurst. These short titles are excellent resources for introducing the youngest readers to the world of biographies, and I probably would have checked out all of these that my library had to read to my children, in between marathon readings of Sandra Boynton.
Where were you when you found out that Lennon had been shot? I walked into Mr. Lendon's biology classroom, where I put a quote on the board every day, only to find out that someone had already written a Lennon quote there. I have to admit that I had no idea who Lennon was, and had only the most superficial knowledge of the Beatles. I have friends, however, who were absolutely gutted.
I remember where I was when JFK was shot, when Elvis died and on 9-11 but have only the vaguest memory of hearing about John Lennon. I had grown up with the Beatles and wasn't devastated but was saddened to hear about him.
ReplyDeleteOur almost-20-year-old daughter has memorized the sequence of each song on the Beatles Number 1's cd, just as we had done with many of the Beatles' albums back in the day. Glad we can pass on the good stuff!