Fabulous! is an illustrated biography of Andy Warhol's life, as he grew up, began working in commercial art, and found success in creating the new genre of pop art. As a child, he was sickly, but very artistic. He was also bullied, and immersed himself in art to express his feelings. He began working in the field of commercial art, illustrating for a magazine in New York. He crossed over to the field of fine art with his paintings of Campbell's soup cans. His success led to the creation of his atelier, which he called "The Factory." He was controversial but successful until his death during a seemingly-routine surgery.
My Impressions
I really liked this book. I liked how it was organized into periods of his life. The chronology was clear and strong. I also really liked the illustrations. They were detailed and interesting, and did a great job of bringing the text to life. I also liked that the author provided additional details about the artist's life in the notes, so that a student who wanted to know more could keep reading. I liked also that this book is appropriate for younger readers, but still interesting for an adult reader. The one criticism I would make is that there were renditions from the author of Warhol's work but no reproductions of his actual work.
Reviews
Reviewers liked this book also. School Library Journal's Allison Tran noted that the "bulk of the narrative is fact-based, tracing major milestones in Warhol’s personal and professional life through well-organized chronological flashbacks" (Tran, 2011). She also mentioned the strength of the illustrations and that Warhol's "triumphs despite his social difficulties will prove inspirational for young readers who feel as if they don’t quite fit in" (Tran, 2011). Booklist's Ilene Cooper agreed, noting that "the bursts of text are set against striking illustrations" which are done by the author in a style that pays tribute to Warhol's own style (Cooper, 2011). Cooper feels that "kids will be moved to explore his art, which is precisely the sort of relationship between biography and the real world that authors strive for" (Cooper, 2011).
Use in a Library
To piggyback off of Cooper's review, I think this book would be a great place for readers to start exploring Warhol's art. After reviewing this book, they can start looking at reproductions of his paintings. Then, readers can try painting the things in their lives, creating their own expressive styles. If a library isn't equipped to perform this type of program, it might be possible to collaborate with an art teacher who can assist. Not only would this be fun but it would be a great chance to foster connections between the library and either other parts of students' school or cultural community. If a museum is nearby, librarians could try and arrange a site visit with a docent who can talk more about Warhol's work and other art from the same time period.
References
Christensen, B. (2011). Fabulous! A portrait of Andy Warhol. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.
Cooper, I. (2011). Fabulous! A portrait of Andy Warhol. Booklist 107(19-2), p. 78. Retrieved from Literature Resource Center.
Tran, A. (2011). Pre-school to grade 4: Christensen, Bonnie, Fabulous!: A Portrait of Andy Warhol. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/889887-427/preschool_to_grade_4.html.csp#non.
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