In My Life

by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Genevieve Santos (Illustrator)

Overview

With three generations of one family, we share moments that are meant to be savored in this special book that beautifully illustrates the words of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s world-renowned song “In My Life.”

There are places I’ll remember, in my life, though some have changed...

One gift with a bright bow starts a young girl on a path...one her mother follows with her as she explores, grows, and rides off on her own, only to return again with her own daughter in tow. This hauntingly beautiful book shares the small moments of that journey that are meant to be remembered and savored in the lyrics of this classic song.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534465855
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	79,803
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

John Lennon and Paul McCartney are two of the four members of The Beatles and together have contributed to numerous top hits that continue to reign on the charts and on the lips of people today.

Genevieve Santos is an illustrator born, raised, and living in San Jose, California, and sole proprietor of a small stationery company, Le Petit Elefant. Wanderlust got the best of her, so she traveled to thirty-one countries before turning thirty, sometimes backpacking, sometimes by camper van, sometimes on her own, but always with a sketchbook. Her love for animation started at a young age and is what drives her to draw the slightest observations. She also has an insatiable weakness for ice cream.

Editorial Reviews

2020-11-18
Contemplate life and loss in this illustrated adaptation of the Beatles’ hit.

As the book opens, a female-presenting protagonist with brown skin and puffy dark hair is gifted a pink bicycle. She practices riding with a taller, also female-presenting friend, sibling, or caregiver with straight black hair and pale skin. As the duo treks around their seaside home, subtle hints suggest the passage of time. Hats are replaced by beachwear and then scarves; training wheels disappear, and the bike is replaced with a more grown-up model, this time in blue. As the lyrics reference the friends and lovers, of whom “some are dead, and some are living,” the older character is seen fading and then disappears altogether, suggesting the protagonist now has only the memory of a lost companion. The protagonist ages and has a young daughter, and the cycle continues—but readers who surmised that the older companion had died will be puzzled to see what seems to be the same character, seemingly alive but now with graying hair, emerge to welcome the protagonist and daughter. The color palette is inviting, but the characters are illustrated with large black dots for eyes—an unsettling choice reminiscent of the Other Mother from Neal Gaiman’s Coraline (2002) that may well create an emotional disconnect. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Die-hard Beatles fans may enjoy it, but it’s likely to leave others cold. (Picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews