Handel, Who Knew What He Liked
“Like its subject, M. T. Anderson’s charming large-scale picture book is ambitious.” — New York Times
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Candlewick Press (2001)
ISBN: 9780763610463
Ages: 8-12
Awards
ALSC Notable Children’s Book Award Winner ● National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People ● Boston Globe – Horn Book Honor, Nonfiction ● New York Public Library 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing ● Horn Book Fanfare ● Kentucky Bluegrass Award
George Frideric Handel was not your everyday eighteenth-century composer. And in a manner befitting its subject, this witty, rigorously researched, and accessible biography captures Handel's essential spirit -- from a child who smuggled a clavichord into the attic to make music against his father's orders to a young man who imported forty-five pounds of mountain snow to chill wine for a gala. National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson depicts not only Handel's triumphs but also his struggles, chronicling the illness, ill fortune, and despair that led to his greatest achievement, the Messiah. With impeccable detail and a wink at the reader, Kevin Hawkes illustrates this singular story of Handel and the music through which he lives on.
Reviews
“Like its subject, M. T. Anderson’s charming large-scale picture book is ambitious.” — New York Times
“Dramatic and full of fun …” — Boston Globe
★ “Not so long ago, children's biographies of classical composers were as lively as marble busts and about as likely to be taken down from the shelf. Anderson and Hawkes' large-format, biographical picture book introduces George Frideric Handel and infuses the composer's story with warmth and color, humor and humanity…. Anderson never forgets his audience in his enthusiasm for his subject.” — Booklist, starred review
★ “… Worthy of a standing ovation.” — Horn Book, starred review
★ “In this wittily irreverent picture-book biography, the legendary baroque composer is vividly brought to life… These gifted collaborators deserve a Hallelujah Chorus of their own for this volume, as well as a request for a speedy encore.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Both illustration and text are characterized by a saucy style, impeccable pacing, and a richness of content, and the two harmonize splendidly." — School Library Journal, starred review
“This will be an obvious and welcome addition to music units and biography shelves.” — The Bulletin of Center for Children’s Books
“Readers don’t need to know anything about the composer to enjoy this lively biography, but it is hard to imagine anyone reading these pages who wouldn’t want to run right out to hear the “Water Music” or a snatch of the “Messiah.” — Kirkus Reviews