*Summary:
This book gives a biography of the famous pop artist Andy
Warhol’s life. The child of immigrant parents and the sibling of two brothers,
Andy grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a two room apartment. Andy was
always small and frail for his age, and on the first day of school a girl hit
him and Andy cried and refused to go back. Andy’s teachers recognized his
artistic abilities and helped him cultivate his love of drawing. However, in
the third grade Andy became ill with a disease called Sain Vitus’s dance, which
caused severe muscle spasms and permanently blotchy skin. As Andy grew up, he
was relentlessly teased and called a sissy. Andy was able to escape the pain
through his art, and he eventually graduated from Art school and hopped on the
first train available to New York City. NYC was a whole different world. Here,
Andy achieved instant success and fame. His most popular works included his
painting of the Campbell’s Soup cans and his portraits. Andy then enjoyed a
life of fame and notoriety.
*Bibliography:
Christensen, B. (2011). Fabulous: a portrait of Andy
Warhol. New York: Henry Holt and Co..
*My Rating:
I learned a lot about Andy Warhol that I did not know from this book. I tend to enjoy informational books that are in a narrative form, so this book was right up my alley. The illustrations in the book were so great! I think kids would really enjoy this book, and the possibilities of its uses in the library and classroom seem endless.
*Reviews:
This biography of Warhol focuses on his youth and uses
very little of his art, relying instead on mixed media to show Andy's
surroundings. It begins in New York City in 1966, where Andy was a star, then
flashes back to his beginnings in Pittsburgh, PA. Andy is portrayed as quiet
and different, a good observer and very much true to himself. Once he left
Pittsburgh, he found work as a commercial artist and then evolved into the
well-known Andy Warhol. The book contains a lengthy author's note, bibliography
and timeline and complements other Warhol biographies. Betsy Russell, Media
Specialist, Bradley Elementary School, Columbia, South Carolina
Russell, B. (2011). Fabulous!: A Portrait of Andy Warhol.
Library Media Connection, 30(2), 83.
Christensen masterfully portrays Warhol's life from the
time he was an ashy, sickly, bullied child who drew constantly to keep himself
company to his later years as a pop culture icon. In particular, the story
focuses on his growth as an artist, discussing his college years, his success
as a commercial artist in New York, and his dreams of something more - to have
his art displayed in fine galleries and to experience the fame and admiration
that accompanies such work. Replicas of Warhol's paintings appear in the superb
illustrations, which are collaged photo transfers on canvas, painted in oils.
Readers will marvel at the endpaper illustrations of Campbell's soup cans, the
Marilyn Monroe portraits on the cover, and Warhol's face repeated on the page
opposite the title page, all rendered in the style of his art.
Wendelin, K. (2011). Fabulous! A portrait of andy warhol.
School Library Monthly, 28(3), 42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1018180018?accountid=7113
*Uses in a library:
Kids would LOVE reading this biographical tale of
Warhol’s life. A librarian could put together an art program that begins with a
reading of this book. The librarian could ask a local artist to come and
discusses art and then leads a class about painting. In my area, there are a
lot of those “Painting With a Twist Studios” that might be a good place to get
a volunteer artist to teach the class. The kids could create their own “Warhol
style” portrait.
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