Module 12: Just Being Audrey

SLIS 5420/ Module 12/ April 8- April 14
Just Being Audrey
By: Margaret Cardillo

Bibliography: Cardillo, M. (2011). Just being Audrey. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Summary: Just Being Audrey is the biography of a young Audrey Hepburn. It chronicles the pivotal events of Audrey Hepburn's life from her childhood during the height of World War II, her rise to stardom in Hollywood, and her work later in life with UNICEF.

Impressions: This is an incredibly cute book for children who may have seen Audrey Hepburn in a movie and want to know more about her, or for parents who want to introduce their children to a real Hollywood legend. The book is an authentic biography that is written for a younger audience. Readers won't find a lot of specifics in this book, but it does touch on many of the most famous aspects of Audrey Hepburn's life. It is also worth reading and sharing for the pictures alone! The drawings are so simple and beautiful. I think that they really capture the essence of Audrey Hepburn.

Review:
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-In this delightful introduction to Audrey Hepburn, readers learn that as a child, she was gangly and imaginative, in a world of her own. When she announced that she wanted to be the prima ballerina of all of Europe, her mother told her that the world was bigger than she was, and to always be kind, a tenet that seems to have stuck with her for life. She was born into a family of some privilege (her mother was a baroness), but their small wealth was no match for the advancing Nazi troops in World War II. Along with her family and 40 others, she hid in a country house with no heat and little to eat. Through the ordeal, she kept dancing and taught the other children. As the war in Europe ended, a UN volunteer gave her a chocolate bar, an act of kindness that seemed to inspire her. After the young woman realized that she would be more suited to acting, her Cinderella career took her from London to Broadway to Hollywood, but the power in this book lies beyond her fame in the spotlight. Her generous humanitarian spirit is seen through her actions and deeds as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF as she used her celebrity as a vehicle to assist others. With a light, sweet narrative style, readers can almost picture Hepburn dancing as they turn the pages. Evocative of the period, Denos's almost impressionistic pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is lively and colorful. This picture-book biography is a great addition to any collection.

Library Setting:
This would be a great book to introduce a unit about biographies and autobiographies in school. It could also be used to introduce a nonfiction setting to young children.

Reference Review:
http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2063/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=6370407d-d00e-48cb-8fed-6f5fbd766ec4%40sessionmgr4&hid=15&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=brd&AN=518529267
Image: http://shannoneileenblog.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a5c8d9a9970c0148c7f71315970c-320wi