James Gulliver Hancock’s Artists, Writers, Thinkers, Dreamers: Portraits of 50 Famous Folks & All Their Weird Stuff offers a charming and whimsical look at well-known figures, through quirky drawings of items linked to them, such as John Lennon’s signature glasses or the flowers Billie Holiday wore in her hair. Inspire your teen patrons to create detailed portraits of celebrities or friends or even themselves. What You’ll Need: Pencils Pens Sketch paper Magazines Glue

Instructions:

1. Choose a subject. Have your teens pick someone—themselves, a friend, a family member, a favorite celebrity, even a pet. 2. Brainstorm. Instruct your patrons to come up with a list of objects they associate with their subject. 3. Get drawing! (Collages make a great alternative as well—have magazines on hand for clipping photos.) Age range: Middle to High School

HANCOCK , James Gulliver. Artists, Writers, Thinkers, Dreamers: Portraits of 50 Famous Folks & All Their Weird Stuff. illus. by James Gulliver Hancock. 112p. Chronicle. 2014. pap.$19.95. ISBN 9781452114569.

Gr 8 Up –This quirky visual take on famous figures goes heavy on graphics to present brief profiles of people based around objects associated with them. Hancock explains in his introduction that people’s relationships to their possessions have always interested him, discussing how Che Guevara is associated with his beret or Grace Kelly with her scarf: “Like possessions, small quirks reflect a person’s identity—their clothes, their favorite food, the house they grew up in, the people they know.” Hancock has chosen an array of well-known individuals, from royalty (Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana) to musicians (Elvis Presley, John Lennon) to artists (Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol) to politicians (Margaret Thatcher, Barack Obama) to scientists (Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci). Crammed to the brim with whimsical line drawings depicting the subjects’ hobbies, romantic partners, favorite articles of clothing, vices, and more, each page explodes with creative and intriuging details. An irreverent tone runs through the work; for instance, Billie Holiday’s page features an image of heroin with the words “abused this.” Admittedly, with so little text and no back matter, the book will have no use to those seeking resources for reports or essays, but Hancock has captured the essence of his subjects with these snarky and humorous mini-biographies. Browsers will be in for a treat, and more artistic readers may even be inspired to create their own portraits of celebrities or friends.–Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal