Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz
Gr 5-9–Upon initial glance, this volume resembles a gift book with its multicolored pages and large font. However, the text flows beautifully and is organized into 11 clear chapters that highlight important events and people in Schulz's life that influenced his work. Many Peanuts characters, for instance, were based on actual people. There was the “Red-Haired Girl,” who was based on the woman who turned down Shulz's marriage proposal. Lucy was based on the artist's ex-wife. While Gherman paints her subject in an overall positive light as an adoring father and artistic perfectionist, she doesn't shy away from more difficult topics such as his initial difficulty finding employment, his mother's death, and his divorce. Old comic strips, drawings, and photographs are interspersed throughout and provide lively and appropriate support for the biography. A great recreational read as well as an adequate source for reports.Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.