Just being Audrey

Book Cover:

Book Title: Just Being Audrey

Book Summary:

This is a tale about a little girl who had big dreams, and never stopped believing or striving to be the best. This book tells of her life from poverty in England during WWII.  It follows her life to stardom and becoming apart of UNICEF.  It gives lots of little side pieces of trivia about Audrey’s life, while continually focusing on her character, specifically her kindness.

APA Reference:

Cardillo, M., & Denos, J. (2011). Just being Audrey. New York: Balzer Bray.

My Impressions:  I loved this book, I love Audrey; I love her even more after reading this this book.  I just knew her form her movies I never knew about her background or where she came from.  This book sheds light on her and the values that her mom distilled in her growing up.  I loved the tidbit of her cooking for the cast and crew and wonder if she really did this.  This book makes me want to go out and read and learn all I can about Audrey Hepburn.

Professional Review:

Booklist

It’s hard to believe life for Audrey Hepburn was ever anything but smart clothes, quirky expressions, and wistful gazes into the eyes of Cary Grant, but Cardillo makes a strong case to the contrary. Growing up in WWII-era Europe, Audrey wanted only to be a dancer, but the other girls made fun of her physical hurdles: She was too tall, her feet were too big, and her neck was too long, and her eyes seemed too big for her head. Young readers will get the message: these were precisely the traits that made Audrey an iconic beauty as an adult. In short order, she was spotted by entertainment heavyweights for her je ne sais quoi and quickly catapulted to fame. Denos’ soft pastel illustrations cut just the right Audrey outline (complete with flapping neck scarf), and fans will especially enjoy picking out the movie roles depicted in a two-page spread of costumes. Her later humanitarian deeds are given their due, but it is Audrey’s simple kindness that is emphasized throughout. –Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist

Citation:

Kraus, D. (2010). [Review of the book Just Being Audrey] Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:8060/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|30465090|29852804&mc=USA#

Library Uses: I have the students write about what they want to do when they grow up, and what challenges they might face along the way.