Publisher's Weekly Review
Using a graphic-novel format and her trademark watercolor stylings, illustrator Haidle makes her authorial debut with this collection of abridged biographies of 10 authors, including Maya Angelou, Roald Dahl, and J.K. Rowling. Chapters open with a quote from and portrait of the featured author; and a timeline of their well-known works is sandwiched between birth and, where applicable, death dates. Brief narratives describe the writers' often-circuitous journeys toward fame, avoiding controversy but highlighting childhoods marked by hardship or alienation. Angelou experienced trauma during her upbringing ("at the age of seven, a terrible crisis occurred"), C.S. Lewis was born with "a birth defect affecting his thumbs"; and Sandra Cisneros and Gene Luen Yang both drew from their dual cultures as they began to write. Soft blue, gray, orange, and brown shades color the animated panels, which are frequently divided diagonally. The positioning of complementary hues creates a pleasing design aesthetic, and myriad details invite prolonged perusing. Source notes and a bibliography wrap up this visually appealing glimpse into the backstories of a few story writers. Ages 10-up. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Comics publisher and author-illustrator Haidle profiles 10 celebrated authors, representing several generations, whose books have been embraced by young people. From Mark Twain and Beatrix Potter to J. K. Rowling and Gene Luen Yang, the featured writers are each given five pages through which their childhoods, paths to publication, and seminal works are introduced. Each chapter begins with a full-page portrait of the subject as an adult, framed by a quotation from one of their books and a short time line. Casual browsers will find appeal in the pastel tones of the watercolor-and-ink illustrations, presented in comics-style panels. Young researchers will benefit from extensive back matter, including source notes and a bibliography, but the brevity of the entries doesn't always leave room for nuanced exploration. For example, the section on Maya Angelou glosses over her childhood trauma, and any mention of racism with regard to Dr. Seuss or Roald Dahl is notably absent. Still, fans of classic children's literature will enjoy this reverential and playful volume.--Shelley M. Diaz Copyright 2019 Booklist
