Summary: The life of Audrey Hepburn is featured in
this biography. It starts off with her
childhood aspirations of being a ballerina and how that carried her through
World War II. At the end of the war, she
realized that ballet wasn’t ever going to work for her because of the way she
was built. She gave acting a try. Timing worked out perfectly, and she was cast
for a play. As a result of the play, she
landed a role in Gigi. From there, she ended
up making over 20 movies. In the end,
she focused on giving back to others and advocated for UNICEF. Impression: I knew next to nothing about Audrey Hepburn,
so I was curious about what makes her so iconic to so many people, beyond the
black dress. I had no idea that she’d
had to go into hiding during World War II, and I knew nothing of her efforts to
advocate for children. It was a fun,
inspiring story to read. Suggestions for library setting: In the past, our theatre teacher did a lesson
that involved learning more about iconic celebrities. At the time, Audrey Hepburn was on the list,
but we didn’t have any print resources.
I can see adding this book or another like it about Audrey Hepburn’s
life to the collection for this and other projects.
Cardillo, Margaret. (2011). Just being Audrey. New
York: Balzer + Bray.
In this delightful introduction to Audrey Hepburn,
readers learn that as a child, she was gangly and imaginative, in a world of
her own. When she announced that she wanted to be the prima ballerina of all of
Europe, her mother told her that the world was bigger than she was, and to
always be kind, a tenet that seems to have stuck with her for life. She was
born into a family of some privilege (her mother was a baroness), but their
small wealth was no match for the advancing Nazi troops in World War II. Along
with her family and 40 others, she hid in a country house with no heat and
little to eat. Through the ordeal, she kept dancing and taught the other
children. As the war in Europe ended, a UN volunteer gave her a chocolate bar,
an act of kindness that seemed to inspire her. After the young woman realized
that she would be more suited to acting, her Cinderella career took her from
London to Broadway to Hollywood, but the power in this book lies beyond her
fame in the spotlight. Her generous humanitarian spirit is seen through her
actions and deeds as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF as she used her celebrity
as a vehicle to assist others. With a light, sweet narrative style, readers can
almost picture Hepburn dancing as they turn the pages. Evocative of the period,
Denos's almost impressionistic pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is lively and
colorful. This picture-book biography is a great addition to any collection.
Donnelly, A.
(2011). Just being Audrey. School
Library Journal, 57(4), 158.
Just
Being Audrey. It’s hard to believe life
for Audrey Hepburn was ever anything but smart clothes, quirky expressions, and
wistful gazes into the eyes of Cary Grant, but Cardillo makes a strong case to
the contrary. Growing up in WWII–era Europe, Audrey wanted only to be a dancer,
but the other girls made fun of her physical hurdles: “She was too tall, her
feet were too big, and her neck was too long,” and “her eyes seemed too big for
her head.” Young readers will get the message: these were precisely the traits
that made Audrey an iconic beauty as an adult. In short order, she was spotted
by entertainment heavyweights for her je
ne sais quoi and quickly catapulted to
fame. Denos’ soft pastel illustrations cut just the right Audrey outline
(complete with flapping neck scarf), and fans will especially enjoy picking out
the movie roles depicted in a two-page spread of costumes. Her later
humanitarian deeds are given their due, but it is Audrey’s simple kindness that
is emphasized throughout.
Kraus,
D. (2010). Just being Audrey. Booklist,
10(7), 43.
No comments:
Post a Comment