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Summary
Summary
When Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was published in 1868 it was an instant success. Louisa drew on her experiences in writing the novel, but there's a lot more to her rags-to-riches story. Louisa came from a family that was poor but freethinking, and she started teaching when she was only seventeen years old. But writing was her passion. This informative biography captures the life of a compassionate woman who left an indelible mark on literature for all ages.
Author Notes
YONA ZELDIS MCDONOUGH is the author of many books for children, including Sisters in Strength and Anne Frank . She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
BETHANNE ANDERSEN has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including PatienceWright: America's First Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy . She lives in Boise, Idaho.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Enchanting gouache and pastel paintings adorn this thorough biography of Little Women author Alcott. Painted in a somewhat naOve style with elongated, flowing lines, single portraits of Alcott dominate several of Andersen's (Patience Wright) spreads. Natural elements like feathers and flowers pattern her dresses and decorate the background, evoking her love of nature. While the fluid compositions evoke a carefree tone, textured gold backdrops, dark hues and serious facial expressions underscore the sadness and disappointments of Alcott's short life, including a sister's early death and her family's poverty. McDonough's (The Doll with the Yellow Star) plainspoken narrative, confined to filmy, rectangular canvases on each page, provides numerous anecdotes to keep the story paced and interesting. Readers learn of her father's alternative, ahead-of-his-time views on education and diet, as well as Louisa's efforts to help her impoverished family with finances ("Once she tried to earn money as a doll's dressmaker. She chased the neighbor's hens for their feathers and made fancy dolls' hats to sell"). Endnotes provide a time line, some of the author's quotations and early poetry, and even a favorite recipe for "apple slump." Ages 6-10. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) This visually inviting summary of the difficult and eventful life of the iconic author is targeted to a somewhat younger audience than most readers of Little Women. McDonough touches lightly on such tough issues as Bronson Alcott's improvidence and his family's resulting deprivations, but she's honest, overall, about the consequences of his uncompromising ideals as well as Louisa's own struggles with poverty, her growing fame, and her loyal nurturing of a family sadly diminished by its losses over time. Some of the phrasing and concepts may be over the heads of the audience ("Louisa began to understand her family's financial situation"; "his alternative ideas about education"); on the other hand, both the informative, no-nonsense text and the sophisticated illustrations should appeal to readers who are nearly ready for Little Women itself. Andersen's gouache and pastel art is rendered with a free-flowing, impressionistic brush, its warm palette arrestingly keyed to light brick and burnt sienna hues (even in a snow scene) for a pleasing contrast with blue- or gray-clad figures. Alcott herself, somewhat idealized, exudes intelligence and spirit. Addenda include several quotes and early poems, a chronology, and a brief list of further reading. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Growing up in an unconventional family whose idealistic father was sometimes unable to support his wife and four daughters, Louisa May Alcott became determined to earn enough for herself and those she loved. As an adult, she worked as a Civil War nurse in Washington, D.C., until she contracted typhoid fever. The popular success of her writing, beginning with Little Women, allowed her to travel and to help her family. In this book, which uses a picture-book format, McDonough clearly lays out the essentials of Alcott's life story. Often striking and occasionally memorable, Andersen's gouache-and-pastel illustrations use strong shapes and rich colors to create iconic images. Textured gold backgrounds, dynamic and luminous, isolate the people portrayed from their everyday surroundings and intensify the pictures' emotional content. The extensive back matter includes a dozen lively quotes and two short poems from Alcott, some additional facts, a chronology, a bibliography of children's books, and a recipe for New England Apple Slump.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-McDonough has captured the essence of Alcott's fascinating life story in this picture book. Her narrative is anecdotal, focusing on events that influenced the writer's life and work. For example, she explains that Alcott was once saved from drowning by a "kind black boy" and how that experience motivated her abolitionist efforts later in life. The writing is simple, straightforward, and well paced. The author gives a balanced treatment of Alcott's early, middle, and later life. Interesting supplemental material includes a recipe for Alcott's favorite dessert. Andersen's stylized illustrations are done in warm oranges, rich blues, and dark greens. Rather than being pictorially or historically precise, they reflect the mood of the text by varying proportions and adding textures. The resulting images are bold, intense, and dramatic. Alexandra Wallner's An Alcott Family Christmas (Holiday House, 1996) is similar in length and reading level but focuses on just one year in Alcott's childhood. Christin Ditchfield's Louisa May Alcott: Author of Little Women (Children's Press, 2005) is a good choice for report writers. McDonough's title is for those looking for a short, accessible introduction to an amazing life.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This picture-book look at Louisa May Alcott gently traces her life from a happy, humble childhood to nursing soldiers in the Civil War to her later writing successes. Louisa mostly grew up in Massachusetts, in the company of her three sisters. The young Alcott girls spent Saturday nights in riotous pillow fights, acted out plays in homemade costumes and kept journals to record their thoughtsa pastime that would prove quite fruitful for Louisa. McDonough, appropriately for the audience, places the development of Louisa's character over literary exegesis, and her words are harmoniously both accessible and expressive. Andersen's swashes of gouache and pastels color the lush green fields and warm orange background that glows behind the text. Most intriguing, however, are the end notes, which include two early poems by Alcott and a traditional dessert recipe for New England Apple Slump. While too dense for the littlest of women (and men), middle-graders will be charmed by this first look at one of America's most beloved authors. (additional facts, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
