Bursting with color and panache, Hopman’s double portrait of Givenchy and Hepburn lovingly captures one of the 20th...
A lavishly illustrated window into how fashion drew Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy together.
In this Dutch import, Hopman explores the fabulously symbiotic relationship of Belgian-born movie star Audrey Hepburn and French couturier Hubert de Givenchy. These gifted contemporaries first met in the early 1950s, when Hepburn sought out Givenchy, desperate for more attractive costumes for her second film, Sabrina. Hopman here glosses their similarly privileged European upbringings, focusing instead on how Givenchy’s white-hot aesthetic, which was setting Paris ablaze, appealed to Hepburn’s sense of style and contributed to the spare elegance that helped make her into a 20th-century fashion icon. Hopman showcases the lifelong relationship that blossomed between the two artists, with De Clercq-Foley’s serviceable translation revealing that Audrey “always wore Hubert’s clothes. Even when she baked chocolate cake.” Though the type layout in the book’s opening pages makes the initial parallel narratives of these budding superstars somewhat hard to follow, Hopman’s vivid, richly detailed mixed-media illustrations render the text almost superfluous. Givenchy’s signature designs, including a hot-pink, double-page spread of Hepburn’s ubiquitous Breakfast at Tiffany’s black dress, leap from Hopman’s page with verve and humor.
Bursting with color and panache, Hopman’s double portrait of Givenchy and Hepburn lovingly captures one of the 20th century’s most beautiful friendships. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4314-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties.
What is being a Swiftie all about? Finding joy in the things you love!
For Taylor Swift and her fans, love comes from baking tasty desserts, snuggling with pets, enjoying fireworks with friends, and attending concerts. Vibrant illustrations that evoke bright pop music are scattered with references to Taylor’s life, such as a red sports jersey (a nod to her high-profile relationship with a certain Kansas City Chiefs tight end) or a stack of friendship bracelets (which devotees know are commonly made by hand and traded at Swift’s concerts). Without this prior knowledge of Swift lore, this peppy picture book may feel like a somewhat superficial, though positive, list of ways to find happiness; some readers may wish the author had included messages about acceptance and self-love, commonly found in Swift’s lyrics. Still, the intended audience will welcome it as a joyful love letter to her fans. Pops of color splash across scenes of Taylor and a racially diverse set of friends doing their favorite things atop a stark white background. The star’s recognizable fashion style and facial features are spot-on, while most other featured characters feel more generic.
Colorful, upbeat, and just for Swifties. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781665973519
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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