Yoko Ono

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This little one is about Yoko Ono, an inspiring artist. It was nice to read about her and some of her projects. She truly is a person to look up to.

Yoko Ono is a great addition to the Little People Big Dreams series. I was familiar with Ono, but not much about her personal life and contributions. It was fascinating to learn about her childhood and journey to the art world. Parents and children will enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

As a child of the 60s, the only thing I knew about Yoko Ono was that she had broken up the Beatles.

But most children, of this generation, don't have that as a background, so they will go into this brief story of Yoko Ono with an open mind, and read the very touching story, herein.

This follows her from her life in Japan, and explains why she did what she did, such as come to New York, and how she marched to the beat of her own drum, so to speak.

It touches lightly on her relationship with John Lennon, as well as her work on her own art.

A good introduction to an often understood performance artist.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Well, this certainly was my first biography of Ono, even if it was only a couple of hundred words long. Born of the generation already seeing the Beatles as irrelevant to my future, I never once really fell under the spell of their music, and therefore have no opinion on what she did 'to' Lennon and his ideas while together with him. I certainly didn't know anything about her childhood as we see it here, nor how her art apparently provides optimism, inspiration and the togetherness the young Ono lacked. It's fair to say this didn't convince me once to change my opinion that her output was quite divisively dodgy, but the young reader being shown a global success from adversity will have to make their own minds up at a later date. The story here with its portrayal of her way to success is a darned sight more inspiring than that dirge they called "Imagine", mind. Very good illustrations, too – just to prove the up-and-down qualities of this humongous series.

Yoko Ono is the newest to be spotlighted in this latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This series is such a delight and the perfect way to educate not just kids but everyone about historic and cultural icons.

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art, which she performs in both English and Japanese, and filmmaking. She was married to English singer-songwriter John Lennon of the Beatles from 1969 until his murder in 1980. This book portrays Ono as she has to escape to the countryside when WWII breaks out to her relationship and collaborations with John Lennon encouraging peace.

Momoko Abe illustrates this installment and does an amazing job. Abe's art style was so captivating and her art definitely further helped tell Ono's story. This installment did a great job of educating me about a historical figure. I love collecting these books and am so thrilled to add this one to the rest of my collection.

I’m a big John Lennon fan and there was a lot I didn’t know before this book. I read this with my 8yo son and it was easy for him to follow. We looked up Yoko Ono’s art and music after reading this so it was great to be able to peak his interest on someone he’s never heard of before.

I learned so much about Yoko Ono! I never really knew or considered her life before John Lennon. Enjoyable book!

Beautifully illustrated and what a short concise and encouraging story of living your truth everyday, even when you lose friends and those you love the most. This is so necessary for everyone to read in life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've personally always been fascinated with Yoko Ono because of the way they seem to look at life. This little book, read in the hopes of being able to share it with my nieces, is a great introduction to who they are and how their life came about. The illustrations, as always, are so well done and paint a wonderful (adorable) picture. I'll definitely be adding this to my nieces' collection.

Yoko was born in Japan to wealthy parents but was ignored and lonely. She came to know that she was an artist and that she could make a difference to others. While she was living in New York City, she met and married a famous singer who had the same goals in life. Despite his being murdered, she continues to be an activist for peace.
The illustrations by Momoko Abe are eye-catching and very well done. The language of the text is suitable for reading to young people and excellent for ESL.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Every child needs to hear these words of encouragement from Yoko Ono: “You can change the world by being yourself!”

Yoko was the eldest of three children born to busy, wealthy, professional parents in Tokyo, Japan. Despite having all kinds of opportunities, Yoko lacked what she needed most….her parent’s attention. Fuelled by her isolation and wartime hardships, Yoko was driven from a young age to do something that mattered to the world. Her passion for words and music caught John Lennon’s attention and together they wrote the famous song, ‘Imagine.’

I was amazed learning about the Imagine Peace Tower and the thousands of wishes underneath it, humoured when I read about her room of split in half objects, saddened at her loneliness and joyful at the message she continues to spread about changing the world. I can imagine that this story will have the same effect on children.

The vivid and detailed illustrations will allow children’s eyes to wander. The simple yet varied sentences will impart engaging information, and the timeline and photos will give older children a starting point for further research.

This is a fantastic addition to the Little People, BIG DREAMS series.

Publishes November 9, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I was born after the height of the Beatles and they were never my jam anyway, but growing up I only ever heard people say bad things about Yoko Ono. Thankfully, nowadays kids won't have that negative connotation towards her and can learn about her survival through war in Japan an achievements as an artist across many mediums. She's an interesting person for sure.

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a nice little book that tells you about the important points of Yoko Ono’s life. If you’re a Beatles fan like me, you may think you know Yoko pretty well, but after reading this book, I realized I didn’t know much about her -especially about her life pre-Lennon. I really liked the illustrations, but I wished that the book was longer and more detailed. Yet, it’s good at laying down the basics enough for you to get interested in her life, and maybe go find another big book to read about her more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful and inspiring. Perhaps a little alarming for younger readers as obviously grown up themes such as parental abandonment/disowning and the death of a loved one. Recommended for Year 4 and above.

Learned a lot about Yoko Ono from this cute little book! Love the series of books and was happy to find this one!

Yoko Ono was a terrific person to pick for the little People, Big Dreams Series. Like most people I knew about Yoko mainly through the debate if she caused the break-up of the Beatles. She was blamed for changing John Lennon and causing problems that made the group break up. So, she was vilified for this and her art was never taken seriously. She only wanted to be herself her whole life.

I did not realize Yoko had such a difficult childhood. She grew up very isolated and her parents just did not have enough time to spend with her. She already felt different. Then the war breaks out between the United States and Japan. Yoko must move to the countryside. For the first time being able to get enough food becomes a real concern. This must have had a drastic effect on Yoko, who was already struggling in Japan. Luckily, she had her art and that had always saved her from despair.

She decides to leave and go to New York City to meet other artists like herself. She loves practicing art and doing performance. At this time she meets John Lennon. They fall in love. Both believe the answer is to spread the word of peace to the world. Sadly, John Lennon is killed, so she is left alone again. She builds an Imagine Peace Tower and buries a wish. Now over one million people have sent their wishes, too.

By being herself, she has always continued to believe in causes that promote peace. So, knows that a dream dreamt together makes that dream a reality.

That is a beautiful message for young children to hear. Be yourself even if it makes you seem different. You have something important to say. Different people have different ideas and that is a wonderful thing. It can and does change the world.

Thank you NetGalley, Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara, and Frances Lincoln Books for an ARC of this fantastic book. The series is incredible.

I was given an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for giving an honest review. This is not a 500 page deep dive to recall her entire life with before and after JohnLennon., It is rather a very succinct review of her life, a life well lived paving her own way through the journey on her own terms. It is very well illustrated to take the reader from one note to the next dispensed in the perfect amount of information for a young mind to absorb. I loved the book, myself, and the use of trees and their foliage to transport me. I found the book to be both delightful. As well as informative. Yes I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book and even as an adult, learnt from it. The bright, colourful illustrations stand out yet are simple enough to engage children. The story itself is informative without including too much information to overwhelm kids, factual yet still in a story style which keeps children interested.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Sanchez Vegara continues her Little People, Big Dreams series with a biography of Yoko Ono. Young readers see her find her passion from a young age. She was always interested in pursuing art and expression. This desire led her to leave Japan and come to New York City. There she was able to fully explore her passion and encourage others to do the same. The illustrations offer readers a look at her life as they read her story. Well done informative text for elementary level readers.

I'm 45-years-old and this is the most I've ever learned about Yoko Ono. It was so simple, yet flowed in its own poetic way.

My six-year-old loves every book that Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara writes in the Little People Big Dreams series. These inspirational biographies wonderful way to give our children a peek into the lives of people who have made an impact on our world. It allows them to imagine the ways they might also make an impact. I learned as much as my daughter did from the book about Yoko Ono. This isn't necessarily a book I would have chosen for us, but my daughter loves this series so much I felt pressured to get it. The story is, as always, expertly written for this age group. The illustrations are wonderful. This is a great read, perfect for any child, classroom or library.

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.

This new entry in a favorite series tells the story of Yoko Ono. Young readers will learn about her life in Japan, her move to New York and her connection to THAT musician. They will discover that her family life and circumstances were difficult and that Yoko felt that she needed to rely upon herself for many years. Children will read about Imagine and the way in which Yoko has honored John. They will also see the importance of living life according to one’s own vision. As always, the story is well told and illustrated with additional information at the end of the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this excellent entry in an excellent series. All opinions are my own.