Module 12: Just Being Audrey

Just Being Audrey

by Margaret Cardillo

Citation:

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

Summary

Just Being Audrey is a biography about the life of Audrey Hepburn.  It begins with a description of her childhood. She grew up in Nazi-occupied Europe. She and her family even had to leave their home during World War II. She lived in a house with forty other people with very few supplies. After the war ended volunteers from the United Nations brought supplies and one even brought her a chocolate bar! This act of kindness meant a lot to Audrey. She always remembered that. It goes on to explain why she quite often wore a scarf and how her life wasn’t easy. She had to work hard for everything she had. After she was “discovered” and became an actress in America, she used her fame for good. In 1998 she became a Goodwill Ambassador for underprivileged children through UNICEF.

Impressions

I learned so much about Audrey Hepburn in this book. I only knew of her as an actress. There is so much more to learn about her. I was not aware of the philanthropy she was involved in. The illustrations were beautiful and really added to the story. The timeline and bibliography at the end let the reader know that they writer did some research for the book. I also liked that at the end the author and illustrator shared their feelings about Audrey and how they came to write and illustrate the book.

Professional Reviews

K-Gr 3--In this delightful introduction to Audrey Hepburn, readers learn that as a child, she was gangly and imaginative, in a world of her own. When she announced that she wanted to be the prima ballerina of all of Europe, her mother told her that the world was bigger than she was, and to always be kind, a tenet that seems to have stuck with her for life. She was born into a family of some privilege (her mother was a baroness), but their small wealth was no match for the advancing Nazi troops in World War II. Along with her family and 40 others, she hid in a country house with no heat and little to eat. Through the ordeal, she kept dancing and taught the other children. As the war in Europe ended, a volunteer gave her a chocolate bar, an act of kindness that seemed to inspire her. After the young woman realized that she would be more suited to acting, her Cinderella career took her from London to Broadway to Hollywood, but the power in this book lies beyond her fame in the spotlight. Her generous humanitarian spirit is seen through her actions and deeds as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF as she used her celebrity as a vehicle to assist others. With a light, sweet narrative style, readers can almost picture Hepburn dancing as they turn the pages. Evocative of the period, Denos's almost impressionistic pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork is lively and colorful. This picture-book biography is a great addition to any collection.

School Library Journal

Donnelly, A. (2011). Just Being Audrey [Review of Book]. School Library 

                Journal, 57(4), 158.

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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 isAudrey's simple kindness that is emphasized throughout. - Daniel Kraus

The Booklist

Kraus, D. (2010). Just being Audrey [Review of Book]. The Booklist, 107(7), 43.

Library Lesson ideas

This would be a great book to introduce the Biography Genre. This could be used to explain what a Biography is including that it is written by someone else to inform the reader about the person. It would be a great way to show students that biographies are not always "boring." Students could make a bubble map about Audrey using facts from the book, then make a bubble map about themselves. It could also be compared to an autobiography. It could be added to a display of various Biographies and Autobiographies. 

References

Amazon. (2016). [Image of book cover]. Retrieved from
         http://www.amazon.com/Just-Being-Audrey-Margaret-Cardillo/dp/
         006185283X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460815237&sr=8-1&
         keywords=just+being+audrey
     

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

Donnelly, A. (2011). Just Being Audrey [Review of Book]. School Library 

                Journal, 57(4), 158.

Kraus, D. (2010). Just being Audrey [Review of Book]. The Booklist, 107(7), 43.