Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol by Bonnie Christensen (Henry Holt and Company, 2011)
genre: Biography, fine arts
ages: 9-12 years
honors: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (2005)
Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award (2007)
review: From Pittsburgh in 1928 to New York in 1987, the book examines the life of pop artist Andy Warhol. He was a sickly child who at age 8 contracted a disease called chorea* that caused his blotchy skin and muscle spasms, as well as relentless teasing at school. Andy was often kept home by his mom, and together they drew pictures. His artistic talents carried him to doing commercial art in New York City in the 1960’s. And then he blurred the line between commercial art and fine art, and became the iconic face for Pop Art.
opinion: Christensen’s look at Andy Warhol is told in simple chunks of age-appropriate information accented with full page spreads of his artwork. Interesting, the author speculates on the possibility of Warhol having dyslexia or Asperger’s Syndrome, in addition to the chorea, all of which would explain his semi reclusion and unique personality. She also carefully glazes over The Factory.
ideas: Young artists should see this book to help them recognize the beauty of everyday common objects.
*Andy Warhol Chronology. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from http://www.warholstars.org/chron/192862.html
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