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Summary
Summary
You might recognize him from his famous paintings of Campbell's soup cans and coke bottles. But do you know about the artist who created these images?
Any Warhol was often sick as a child but found comfort in reading comic books and most especially in drawing. From his early days in Pittsburgh in the 1930s to the height of his glory in the 1960s when he blurred the line between commercial art and fine art, this book chronicles an artist's remarkable path to becoming a renowned Pop Art icon.
Author Notes
Bonnie Christensen was born in Saranac Lake, New York in 1951. She received a bachelor's degree in theatre and communication from the University of Vermont. She worked backstage at Joseph Papp's Public Theater, the Actor's Studio, and other studios in New York City for 13 years. She also wrote several plays that were produced off-off Broadway.
She was an author, artist, and book illustrator. Her first book, An Edible Alphabet, was published in 1994. She wrote and illustrated a number of picture books including Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist, Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People, Fabulous: A Portrait of Andy Warhol, The Daring Nelly Bly: America's Star Reporter, A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road, and Elvis: The Story of the Rock and Roll King. She died of ovarian cancer on January 12, 2015 at the age of 63.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Spanning Warhol's rise to fame, this thoughtful account begins and ends with brief, fictionalized scenes that take place in 1966, illuminating the pop artist's popularity and success in contrast to the challenges he overcame to achieve recognition. The bulk of the narrative is fact-based, tracing major milestones in Warhol's personal and professional life through well-organized chronological flashbacks that start from his early childhood in the 1930s and continue through his days as an art student and his entry into the world of commercial art. Throughout, he is portrayed as a sensitive soul, often ridiculed by his peers. The differences between fine and commercial art, and Warhol's success in melding the two styles, are addressed in a way that is easy to understand even for someone with no background in art history. Christensen skillfully conveys emotion and mood through vivid, bold collage illustrations, particularly notable in an image of Warhol sitting forward in his train seat as New York City comes into view, anticipation made clear through his posture alone. According to the illustration note, "the paintings in this book are replicas of Andy's paintings, intended to give the reader a sense of his work and to inspire a museum visit to view the true originals." In addition to being a useful resource for biography reports, the story of Warhol's artistic triumphs despite his social difficulties will prove inspirational for young readers who feel as if they don't quite fit in.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In an intimate biography of Andy Warhol, "Prince of Pop, King of Cool," Christensen spans a 30-year period-from the artist's upbringing in Pittsburgh to the height of his popularity in the 1960s-emphasizing a self-made rags-to-riches ascent. From early influences (religious icons, celebrities, comic books) and obstacles (including a disease that "caused muscle spasms and permanently blotchy skin" and relentless teasing) to his transition from commercial art to pop artist extraordinaire, Christensen's informal prose and heavily textured oil paintings, composed over photo collages, depict a man constantly absorbing everything around him and incorporating it into his art in a way that shocked and delighted the world. An author's note and a time line provide further detail into Warhol's later life. Ages 6-9. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
"Paintings can make people mad, make them ask questions, make them see things differently." Profiling the "Prince of Pop Art" from his 1930s Pittsburgh childhood through the height of his fame in 1966, Christensen shows that Andy Warhol became a visionary artist through determination and hard work. A dusky cityscape unfolds across one early spread, with young Andy off to the side, head bowed over his sketchpad, drawing pictures of flowers. Christensen's highly textured oil and collage illustrations, which incorporate "replicas" of Warhol's art, provide a solid backdrop to a life that came to seem, in later years, glitzy and unreal. But before the soup cans and movie stars, the streamlined text reveals that Warhol took art classes and went to college and lived in cockroach-infested apartments. Some of the quirkiest tidbits are found in the author's note, as when Christensen mentions Warhol's "time capsules," the six hundred boxes full of junk he hoarded. Still, it's not a stretch to say that it wasn't Warhol's eccentricities that made him truly fabulous; it was his penchant for paying attention to and learning from everything around him. christine m. heppermann (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The "fabulous" life of Andy Warhol is made accessible and understandable via this child-friendly look at the life and career of one of America's most recognizable painters.Shy, sickly Andy spent many lonely hours resting in bed. Warhol's mother understood his uniqueness, and instead of forcing him to attend school, stand up to bullies or play sports, she unfailingly nurtured his talents and accepted and supported his interests. Andy attended art classes at the Carnegie Museum art school in Pittsburgh and was encouraged by teachers who also recognized his promise. Comics, movie magazines, glamorous superstars and luminous icons from his Eastern Orthodox parish church fueled his imagination. Christensen effectively re-imagines Warhol's unmistakable style for 21st-century kids while offering a developmentally appropriate take on Warhol's life. She focuses on his early graphic work and the exciting, transformative era of Pop Art. She conveys the explosive impact of his Campbell's soup cans and Marilyn as she discretely limns the early activities of "The Factory."Though readers will need to consult the backmatter for the details of the more complex and tumultuous years from the mid-'60s to his death in 1987, they will find this a vital and exciting child-appropriate introduction to an American icon. (Picture book/biography. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Andy Warhol was an unlikely fellow to ever be tagged fabulous. Shy, sickly, and labeled . sissy. Warhol could only imagine a life of glamour. But imagine he did, with pictures of celebrities on the wall to inspire him and his own artistic talents to push him to New York City after graduating college. There, Warhol was able to find success as an illustrator, but he hungered for more. He found fame and fortune as a chronicler of pop culture, using everyday objects as his subjects, as in his famous series of paintings featuring Campbell's soup cans. Christensen who once performed with Warhol'. superstar. at the Actors Studio does a masterful job of capturing her subject in just a few words. Readers will sympathize with the boy so unattractive he was calle. Rudolph the red-nosed Warhol. and admire the perseverance that landed him in the limelight. The bursts of text are set against striking illustrations collaged photo transfers on canvas, which were then painted in oil that are a fitting homage to Warhol's art. In an author's note, Christensen shows another side of Warhol, who lived with his mother, attended church, and served dinners to the homeless. By making readers care about the young Andy, kids will be moved to explore his art, which is precisely the sort of relationship between biography and the real world that authors strive for. Christensen succeeds.--Cooper, Ilen. Copyright 2010 Booklist
