Hi, I'm Norman

July 15, 2019
The iconic American illustrator welcomes readers into his home and life. "Hi, I'm Norman. Norman Rockwell. Come on in." The creator of over 320 covers for the Saturday Evening Post speaks directly to readers, inviting them into his studio and on to a tour of other studios in his life--his dining room when he was young, neighborhood streets, classroom blackboards, and art school. He tells how he sold his first works, how he got his ideas, and how he used models--adult, child, and even a turkey! Rockwell is known for painting the "ideal aspects" of life, "life like I'd like it to be," he said, and he received criticism for being old-fashioned and nostalgic, but Burleigh's Rockwell claims he did change to face the times he lived in. During World War II, he painted his iconic series "The Four Freedoms," based on President Franklin Roosevelt's famous speech. And after Ruby Bridges integrated an all-white public school in the 1960s, Rockwell painted the famous, enigmatically titled The Problem We All Live With. Minor uses watercolor, gouache, and pencil to effectively render many of Rockwell's sketches and paintings and, except for Ruby Bridges, Rockwell's all-white world. An inviting and admiring introduction to an important American artist. (further biography, author's note, illustrator's note, list of paintings rendered, timeline, reproductions) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)

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October 28, 2019
Folksy geniality infuses this picture book biography of a beloved U.S. artist. Framed as a first-person recollection, Rockwell welcomes readers into his studio and shares the story of his life, tracing how his childhood love of “telling stories with pictures” stayed with him as he grew up and found success creating covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Burleigh’s conversational, approachable tone (“Was I nervous? Are you kidding? My heart was pounding like a sledgehammer”) pulls readers along as Rockwell’s narration wends through amusing anecdotes (corralling a turkey model) and serious themes: addressing WWII in his Four Freedoms series, and putting U.S. racism on the front page with The Problem We All Live With. Minor’s accomplished watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations capture key moments in Rockwell’s life and process with snapshot charm. Supplemental material includes an author’s note, artist’s note, Rockwell paintings and quotes, timeline, and bibliography. Ages 4–8.

November 1, 2019

K-Gr 2-Unlike other biographies narrated in the first person, this engaging book about artist Norman Rockwell asks questions and forms a solid connection between reader and narrator. Burleigh chronicles Rockwell's life in snapshots that correspond with different events in American history; for instance, the author asks, "What is an artist to do when war comes?" and responds by detailing the history of The Four Freedoms, one of Rockwell's most famous works, based on a speech given by Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. Though rendered in Minor's style, the illustrations mimic Rockwell's work. VERDICT This important addition to biography collections is aimed at young readers with little to no knowledge of the artist. It will interest and hopefully inspire early elementary students who love art.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
Grades K-3 Hi, says the artist, paintbrushes in hand, peering genially out at the reader from the center of his studio, I'm Norman. Norman Rockwell. Come on in. In Burleigh's straightforward first-person narration, Norman speaks directly to the reader, telling them the story of his life and career. He first drew at the kitchen table while his father read to him, drew the world he saw around him in chalk on the sidewalks, and eventually went to art school. Though he preferred to capture the pleasant aspects of daily life, when times of hardship came?notably, WWII and the civil rights movement?he felt compelled to take action through art. Back matter includes a gallery of reproductions of some of Rockwell's paintings, and both Burleigh and Minor contribute notes about their processes; in his illustrator's note, Minor discusses how he took his own approach in recreating Rockwell's work in the illustrations instead of trying to emulate his style. His soft touch and muted colors evoke Rockwell's art and time period in this inviting biography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)