Taylor Swift

September 15, 2024
An unabashed panegyric for swooning fans of the pop singer. Looking lit from within in Stone's emblematic scenes, Taylor Swift certainly makes good on her surname as she goes from a barefoot child running through her family's Christmas tree farm and "creating magical memories" to a 16-year-old recording artist and then on to near-instant pop deification. The illustrator depicts Swift serving cookies to a small diverse group of fans and writing songs in fountain, glitter, and quill pens. Swift performs her hits for millions of adoring fans, cradles an armful of Grammy Awards, cuddles a cat, and displays an "I voted" sticker on her cardigan as a rainbow banner flows behind her. Amid quick mentions of her family's move to Nashville, where she was discovered, and her decision to re-record several early albums to regain control of her music, Wainer threads in meaningful observations about how her songs make "sparks fly," reflect "theenchantmentof first love, friends andbad blood," and highlight the importance of "shaking offcriticism." Her tumultuous love life goes unexamined, to the likely disappointment of many, but the author does clearly lay out Swift's proven credentials as a writer as well as performer and concludes with a suitably rapturous message: "There's no stopping Taylor. She has so many stories left to tell." Haters gonna hate, but for the rest, here's a real-life fairy tale in which our wildest dreams come true. (sources)(Picture-book biography. 6-8)

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October 15, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 Younger fans of the fervently adored musician will find this accessible summary of Swift's real-life fairy tale a tribute beyond their wildest dreams. Swift's path to stardom begins with tree-farm roots and an early foray into country music. With spare text and an emphasis on Swift's love of songwriting, Wainer hits the high notes of the superstar's success, including her genre-expansive lyricism, critical acclaim, social activism, and reclaiming of her recording archive. While the text makes liberal use of song-title references, some featured in a lavender cursive font, Stone highlights recognizable wardrobe choices (plus Swift's bold lip) on warmly neutral backgrounds that sustain the softness of the wholesome digital illustrations. Conspicuous pop culture iconography--think beaded bracelets--serves those newer in their fandom while more obscure Easter eggs, such as koi fish, will please ardent followers. Devotees in search of dishy new insights may need to calm down; long story short, this reassuring biography covers fairly familiar terrain but offers source notes for fans who want to research further. Are you ready for it?

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.