Synopses & Reviews
History comes to life in this dynamic volume! Itand#8217;s no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these peopleand#8212;and other famous musiciansand#8212;really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? Discover the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians from various countries and historical periods, beginning with Vivaldi and ending with Woody Guthrie.
Review
"Unstuffs a host of shirts and delivers wonderful musical trivia."--
Newsweek* "Bravo! A collective biography that is informative and fun to read."--School Library Journal, starred review
* "Living, breathing anecdotes--the stuff of which the best biography is made."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
* and#8220;Thereand#8217;s enough substance here for a quick report or to enliven a longer one. . . . An irresistible package.and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
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and#8220;The stories Krull tells will be enough to whet readersand#8217; appetites for more biography and for the writersand#8217; actual works.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist
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"This compendium of brief biographies of literary luminaries is as much fun as a tete-a-tete with a gossipy friend. Krull knows exactly how to captivate her audience; she goes right for the juicy stuff, adding to historical fact the kind of chatty incidentals and amusing anecdotes that put flesh and blood on dry literary bones. . . .These exuberant thumbnail sketches are ably matched by Hewittand#8217;s sophisticated caricatures, which will delight sharp-eyed readers with their many visual references to particulars and oddities about each of the subjects. A must-have for the reference shelf.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
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and#8220;Another colorful, enthralling excursion into our cultural heritage.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Discover the fascinating and often humorous stories of 20 famous musicians--people of all shapes, temperaments, and lifestyles. Illustrations.
Synopsis
What are musicians
really like?
Synopsis
Here are inside views of twenty writers--people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods. Included are William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and many others.
Synopsis
Here are the life stories of such diverse figures as Vivaldi, Mozart, Scott Joplin, Nadia Boulanger, and Woody Guthrie. Readers will learn of both their musical natures and the personal, humorous characteristics that make their lives so fascinating. and#8220;Living, breathing anecdotes--the stuff of which the best biography is made.and#8221;--
Publishers WeeklySynopsis
Shakespeare wrote with a feather quill and ink; Emily Dickinson wrote with a fountain pen; Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote on a Yiddish typewriter. But what did such writers do when they weren't writing? What did Jane Austen eat for breakfast? What could make Mark Twain throw his shirts out the window? Why would Zora Neale Hurston punch a fellow elevator passenger? Lives of the Writers tells all that and more.
About the Author
In this entertaining, informative collection, readers will discover the idiosyncrasiesand#8212;sometimes humorous, sometimes tragicand#8212;of twenty famous artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Peter Bruegel, Sofonisba Anguissola, Rembrandt van Rijn, Katsushika Hokusai, Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, Kand#228;the Kollwitz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Marcel Duchamp, Georgia Oand#8217;Keeffe, William H. Johnson, Salvador Dali, Isamu Noguchi, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Andy Warhol.
A CCBC Choice "Fresh, spirited, and unconventional."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews "A lively, entertaining presentation."and#8212;Booklist "Kids will enjoy this brush with greatness."and#8212;Bulletin "Krull's brief biographies provide basic facts as well as intriguing details. The subjects chosen range from the famous (Michelangelo Buonarroti) to the infamous (Andy Warhol) to the less well known. Hewitt's caricaturelike illustrations reflect and extend the lively text."and#8212;Horn BookKATHLEEN KRULLhas written much innovative nonfiction for young people, including six other books in theLives of . . .series, and has made a chatty, accessible approach to biography her hallmark. She lives in San Diego, California.www.kathleenkrull.com