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Sparky

The Life and Art of Charles Schulz
by Beverly Gherman
125p. 978-0-81186-790-0.
COPY ISBN
Gr 5-9 Upon initial glance, this volume resembles a gift book with its multicolored pages and large font. However, the text flows beautifully and is organized into 11 clear chapters that highlight important events and people in Schulz's life that influenced his work. Many "Peanuts"characters, for instance, were based on actual people. There was the "Red-Haired Girl," who was based on the woman who turned down Shulz's marriage proposal. Lucy was based on the artist's ex-wife. While Gherman paints her subject in an overall positive light as an adoring father and artistic perfectionist, she doesn't shy away from more difficult topics such as his initial difficulty finding employment, his mother's death, and his divorce. Old comic strips, drawings, and photographs are interspersed throughout and provide lively and appropriate support for the biography. A great recreational read as well as an adequate source for reports.-"Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Gherman's latest biography (Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush; Ansel Adams: America's Photographer) makes clear that Schulz's Peanuts comic strip reflected the cartoonist's life and his times. The bright design uses colors that recall the Sunday comics and incorporates archival photographs and Schulz's drawings. Gherman's genuine affection for her subject shines through the lively text. Bib., ind.
An informative and enjoyable biography of a popular cartoonist. Readers will empathize with Sparky and take pleasure in his successes. The plentiful photographs and comic strip reproductions, which highlight connections between Schulz’s life and work, add a great deal to the book. The book’s vibrant colors, speech bubbles, and streamlined design evoke Charles Schulz’s Sunday Peanuts strips. Difficult moments in Schulz’s life, including death and divorce, are handled in a kid-appropriate way.

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