From Publishers Weekly
"[Rockwell's] great talent was that his paintings told stories without using a single word," writes Gherman (E.B. White: Some Writer!) in this anecdotal biography. Her well-chosen words join with crisp reproductions of his art to tell a heartening story of this devoted chronicler of American social history who paid tribute to "average people doing average things"--among them: Rosie the Riveter taking a lunch break (1943), a boy heading off to college in Breaking Home Ties (1954) and African-American student Ruby Bridges going to an integrated school (1964). Sketching his childhood, Gherman explains that, unlike his athletic older brother, Rockwell was skinny and clumsy, but he drew effortlessly and knew "that was what he wanted to do with his life." At 15, he quit high school to enter art school and later attended the Art Students League in New York. The author offers edifying particulars about the mechanics of Rockwell's painting; especially skilled at drawing children, he for years insisted on working from live models and later realized the efficiency and advantages of painting from photographs. Including a number of his celebrated covers for the Saturday Evening Post, of which he produced 332 over almost 50 years, the volume validates a nickname Rockwell earned early on in his career: "the kid with the camera eye." Gherman brings Rockwell into sharp focus here. Ages 8-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-Gherman follows the artist's life from his humble beginnings to his success and, finally, to his death in 1978. The format of the biography is appealing and attractive. The pages are replete with color reproductions of Rockwell's paintings as well as photographs of the man and his family. The text is well researched and authentic; the writing style is free-flowing and the words capture the naturalness of Rockwell's paintings. Public libraries and school libraries will want to add this fascinating, informative, and inspiring biography to their collections.Patricia Mahoney Brown, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The life and work of artist Norman Rockwell are introduced in an attractive, large-format volume, with a subtitle that aptly sums up the narrative appeal of Rockwell's work, and perhaps reveals the reason his paintings have consistently been admired by a wide audience. The chapters on Rockwell's youth and education provide a good basis for anyone wanting to understand the background of his work as well as the development of his distinctive style, and will be especially appealing to the book's intended audience. After nearly five decades of painting sometimes nostalgic, generally popular covers for The Saturday Evening Post, Rockwell made a shift to more contemporary, sometimes controversial subjects in the 1960s. Fifteen large, full-color reproductions of paintings provide good examples of his work, while the many smaller illustrations and photos offer glimpses of Rockwell within the context of his family and his work. Surrounded by a generous amount of white space, the pages balance text and illustration to bring out the best in Gherman's readable story. A most appealing introduction to a most accessible American artist. Carolyn Phelan

Book Description
He was a pale, skinny boy with thick glasses, but Norman Perceval Rockwell knew that he could draw. Beverly Gherman shows us how this awkward boy grew up to become a famous illustrator. As a boy, he sketched the characters from Charles Dickens's novels at the kitchen table. And although his mother discouraged him from pursuing a career in art, Norman knew early on that he could not ignore his talent. He dropped out of school at age fourteen to study art and begin the career that would eventually capture the heart of his entire nation. The experiences of Rockwell's life became part of his paintings: a childhood trip to the country, his son's departure for the Air Force, the fire that destroyed his studio. He also depicted world events and people of his time: Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the soldiers of World War II, and the children involved in school integration, as well as more intimate American scenes, such as a family dinner or a trip to the doctor's office. Beverly Gherman paints a colorful and engaging portrait of Norman Rockwell's life, enhanced by full-color reproductions of the artist's own paintings, which tell both his story and their own.

Card catalog description
Describes the life and work of the popular American artist who depicted both traditional and contemporary subjects, including children, family scenes, astronauts, and the poor.

About the Author
Beverly Gherman grew up taking Norman Rockwell's work for granted. His images were everywhere: on calendars, stamps, posters, magazine covers. Several years ago she visited an eighth-grade classroom and saw the students studying Rockwell's paintings. They were excited about his work, and their enthusiasm sent her back to Rockwell's world to look at his art with a fresh eye.

ANNOTATION

Describes the life and work of the popular American artist who depicted both traditional and contemporary subjects, including children, family scenes, astronauts, and the poor.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Describes the life and work of the popular American artist who depicted both traditional and contemporary subjects, including children, family scenes, astronauts, and the poor.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

Gherman's subtitle for her short biography of Rockwell is a good definition of an illustration. It's particularly apt for Rockwell, who chose to see the world from the point of view of the common American and was and still is much loved for his vision. Sure, his images were optimistic--even sentimental--but they spoke to us of what we wanted to see in our past and present. Rockwell's life was much like his pictures. He was a scrawny kid who grew into an unassuming adult. He worked hard, raised a family, and lived modestly. His was a Frank Capra sort of small-town life. It's not a bad image to give today's kids. Neither are his pictures, which are beautifully reproduced in this well written and handsome book.

Children's Literature - Childrens Literature

Which artist captured the many faces of America? None other than Norman Rockwell, the storyteller with a brush. Adored by the public because of his notable magazine covers for The Saturday Evening Post, he was neglected by art critics of his day, which disappointed him greatly. In a beautifully designed book complete with family photos and full page color reproductions of treasured magazine covers, Ms. Gherman tells Rockwell's story with humor and insight. I urge teachers to take note of this remarkable biography and recommend it to their students. It's not 100 pages, the requirement for biography assignments, but the contents and the impact of Rockwell's life and drawings will inspire children in ways not measured by page numbers. Rockwell's painting of Ruby Bridges, surrounded by U.S. Marshals, is a social comment about the times that defy words and succeeded in impacting the entire country with the importance of integration. 1999, Atheneum, Ages 10 up, $19.95. Reviewer: Jan Lieberman

Kirkus Reviews

A handsome, well-designed book and a terrific, engaging read, this is an openly affectionate portrait of Rockwell as both the man and the artist. Young Norman left high school at fifteen to study at the National Academy and the Art Students League. He was just eighteen when he became the art director for the Boy Scouts' Boys' Life magazine. Shortly thereafter, Rockwell was shocked that The Saturday Evening Post bought the first two paintings he showed them and immediately commissioned three more covers! These two early associations shaped his long, productive, and lucrative career. Gherman (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1996) takes her readers into the studio and skillfully blends biographical details into her survey of Rockwell's techniques, models, and imagery. Parents and teachers will welcome the opportunity to introduce his inspirational WWII suite of paintings "The Four Freedoms" (based on Roosevelt's speech) to contemporary children. Once seen, few will forget "The Problem We All Live With" (his 1964 Look Magazine painting of a young Ruby Bridges escorted into her New Orleans elementary school flanked by Federal marshals). Open page design, attractive typeface, and generous white space set off a luscious sampling of well-chosen full color reproductions and fascinating black and while photos. This biography is well timed; Rockwell and his oeuvre are in international resurgence. Critics are finally acknowledging that Rockwell's "high art' aesthetic both intersects with and transcends popular culture. The buzz generated by the Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People show now touring the country's major museums willdefinitelyreach the elementary school set. As such, this appealing biography will certainly meet and exceed the expectations of a burgeoning new audience for the artist's life and work. (Biography. 8-11)