I, Vivaldi

February 11, 2008
Gloriously painted cityscapes of Venice and the Piazza San Marco steal the show in the Shefelmans' (A Peddler's Dream
) biography of composer Antonio Vivaldi. The husband-and-wife team takes readers from the musician's birth (on the day of an earthquake) to his ordination as a priest (“People began calling me the Red Priest for the color of my hair. Red Violinist would be better”) and his later work as a conductor at a girls' orphanage. The first-person narration offers an accessible and personable view of Vivaldi's intense passion for music. The author improvises where facts are scarce, e.g., her account has Vivaldi's mother promising her newborn son to the priesthood when he survives a dangerous breathing problem. Stunning ink-and-watercolor scenes evoke the ornate, shadowy church interiors and gilded ornamentation of 17th-century Venice. One breathtaking exterior panorama of the Church of San Marco, featuring its myriad of columns and statues, offers a particularly good example of the artist's detailed yet softly edged style, and compensates for the sometimes odd proportions of the characters. A noteworthy picture book biography. Ages 7-11.

January 14, 2008
Gloriously painted cityscapes of Venice and the Piazza San Marco steal the show in the Shefelmans' (A Peddler's Dream) biography of composer Antonio Vivaldi. The husband-and-wife team takes readers from the musician's birth (on the day of an earthquake) to his ordination as a priest (\x93People began calling me the Red Priest for the color of my hair. Red Violinist would be better\x94) and his later work as a conductor at a girls' orphanage. The first-person narration offers an accessible and personable view of Vivaldi's intense passion for music. The author improvises where facts are scarce, e.g., her account has Vivaldi's mother promising her newborn son to the priesthood when he survives a dangerous breathing problem. Stunning ink-and-watercolor scenes evoke the ornate, shadowy church interiors and gilded ornamentation of 17th-century Venice. One breathtaking exterior panorama of the Church of San Marco, featuring its myriad of columns and statues, offers a particularly good example of the artist's detailed yet softly edged style, and compensates for the sometimes odd proportions of the characters. A noteworthy picture book biography. Ages 7-11.

March 1, 2008
Gr 2-5-This fictionalized picture-book account of the composer's life is narrated by the young Vivaldi, beginning with his birth in Venice in 1678 during an earthquake. When his mother saw her newborn struggling for breath, she promised him to the priesthood, if only his life were spared. His father, a violinist, taught the child to play, acknowledging his love of music. At age 15, it was time to begin studying for the priesthood. Though he begged to pursue a career in music, his mother stood firm, and he eventually became known as the "Red Priest" because of his hair color. When he rushed from Mass to write down some musical notes, the Cardinal relieved him of his duties. He was ordered to teach violin to a group of orphan girls, who held concerts in the chapel. Vivaldi wrote "The Four Seasons" for them. The realistic pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations portray Venice's canals, the crowded piazza, San Marco, and interior scenes of the boy at home with his family. One dramatic spread of the countryside features Zephyr, Notus, Boreas, and Eurus-the four seasons, each blowing from a corner. An afterword, "Fact & Fiction," identifies the historical facts of the subject's life, including his decline in popularity and death, "poor and forgotten." The narration is straightforward and sometimes humorous."Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
This fictional account lyrically narrated in the composer's voice presents key moments in Antonio Vivaldi's life and musical career. After a difficult birth, Vivaldi's mother dedicates her son to the priesthood. He fulfills this promise, but music eclipses his religious vocation. Terra cotta-toned ink-line and watercolors, which accent Vivaldi's red hair, effectively depict Venetian landmarks. Musical notation decorates the endpapers. Glos.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)