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| Image Courtesy of: http://www.preboundbooks.com/ws/image/cover/164031/m |
Bibliographic Citation
Title: John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Year of Publication: 2004
Publisher City: New York
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 0786808179
Author Website: http://www.doreenrappaport.com/
Illustrator Website: http://bryancollier.com/
Media Used for Artwork: Watercolor, Collage
My Top 10 Favorite Picturebooks for Older Readers
Annotation
Through beautiful pictures, detailed prose, and John Lennon’s own lyrics readers are able to gain an understanding of the man and his life. Readers will learn about his childhood, his time with the Beatles, and his untimely death.
Personal Reaction
Any writer who takes such time to analyze the work of John Lennon should be appreciated. It is amazing how Rappaport worked with Lennon’s lyrics to tell the story of his life. Older readers who grew up with the Beatles will enjoy this book because it tells the story of the singer, as well as showcases his work. This book will also be good for newer fans of the Beatles and Lennon who wish to know more about the band and the music. The fact that Rappaport included a discography, list of songs used in the text, and further resources shows the great amount of work she did and also is a starting point for readers to conduct further research.
Collier’s illustrations work well with the text. The use of collage and watercolor develops an overall image of the type of music Lennon created as well as his life. The collage adds a feeling of the pop culture he helped to develop. It was choppy, showing the craziness of the fame he endured. The use of watercolor showed the calm he seemed to fine after leaving the band and finding Yoko Ono. The use of watercolor occurred when he began to write some of his most profound songs, such as “Imagine.”
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