★ “Innerst’s moody acrylic, colored pencil, and ink illustrations create dynamic, expressionistic scenes that dance across the page like musical notes. Expository spreads show Sondheim making music or working in the theater, but it’s the conceptual illustrations that will intrigue creative readers: Sondheim riding a roller coaster with relevant terms (‘melodious score,’ ‘lyrics that soar!’) placed along the rails or surrounded by oversize puzzle pieces posing questions such as ‘What is the sound for loneliness?’ and ‘Should the first and last notes rise?’ Indeed, puzzles prove an inspired central metaphor for the creative process as Sondheim perfects his work. Frankel’s lilting rhyme gives the verse a pleasing cadence for reading aloud without following a consistent rhyming scheme, mirroring the ebb and flow of Sondheim’s own process. A brilliant glimpse at a musical genius, imbued with a profound truth: Creativity is truly about the journey.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “An emphasis on the considerations involved in composing—some written on the puzzle pieces that appear frequently in the illustrations (“How does the character feel?” “Do the words bounce with the music?”)—help make the subject accessible to readers who may not yet be familiar with Sondheim’s work. Fanciful art in acrylic, colored pencil, and ink in Innerst’s (illustrator recently of Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony, rev. 5/25) recognizable style incorporates musical notes, images of the composer at work, and references to his musicals; see especially a spread whose puzzle pieces evoke Georges Seurat and thus Sunday in the Park with George. A focused introduction to Sondheim for budding young creatives.”—The Horn Book, starred review
★ “Frankel’s starry-eyed portrait of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) places curiosity at the heart of the musical theater virtuoso’s success. Staccato introductory lines establish Sondheim as an expert puzzle solver (“Choosing notes/ Choosing words/ Putting it all together”), and inquisitive text proceeds to spotlight the protagonist’s effort, passion, and empathy… Emphasizing process over life-writing, this incisive biography focuses firmly on Sondheim’s gift for assembling the pieces.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “Most music-loving adults are aware of Stephen Sondheim’s many musical triumphs, but how did he do it? In this picture book biography, readers get a look at the process that Sondheim used…Innerst’s illustrations forgo a realistic depiction of the subject, allowing the pictures to have their own theatricality. They are absolutely stunning and bring the author’s words to life, as one would hope to do in a musical. Sondheim would approve…This is an inspiring biography that not only teaches kids who Stephen Sondheim is but also emphasizes the importance of their own curiosity.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“The life of celebrated theatrical composer Stephen Sondheim is told through the lens of the creative process in this new picture-book biography… Using slightly uneven brushstrokes, unexpected panel shapes, and a muted color palette, Innerst captures a dynamic yet memoristic sense of the musical genius… A much-needed addition to fill the theater-shaped hole in a library’s biography collection.”—Booklist
“This isn’t a full biography of Sondheim, per se, but rather an accounting of the musical inspiration he found as a boy and then a celebration of his creative process as an adult. It soars where it focuses on the wonder of writing his famously complex musicals, in spreads with pastel puzzle pieces covered in musings like ‘Do the words BOUNCE with the music?’ or ‘What is the sound for loneliness?’… the sophistication of the illustrations and the purposefully complicated rhyming will capture curious kiddos for a quiet dive into the inner workings of a musical master.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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