Published by Simon and Schuster
Summary: Norman Rockwell tells his story in the first person, inviting readers into his studio, then taking them back to his early days when he used art to make up for his lack of athletic ability. After a stint at art school, he took whatever jobs he could find, eventually landing the plum assignment of creating covers for the Saturday Evening Post. When World War II arrived, his artwork took a more serious turn, and his The Four Freedoms set helped raise millions of dollars from war bonds. After the war, he took on the civil rights movement, with The Problem We All Live With one of his most famous works to come out of that era. His final published work shows him draping a “Happy Birthday” banner on the Liberty Bell to celebrate America’s bicentennial. Includes additional information, author’s and illustrator’s notes, a timeline, reproductions of five or Rockwell’s paintings with additional information about them, a list of additional sources, and some quotes from Norman Rockwell. 48 pages; grades K-4.
Pros: The folksy, conversational style of the writing will draw kids in, and Wendell Berry’s illustrations capture Rockwell’s works perfectly. The extensive back matter makes this an excellent resource for research.
Cons: There were no dates or places in the text–readers will have to go to the timeline for that information.
