Getting to know you

Picture book biographies of two individuals demonstrate concretely how words and illustrations differ from topic to topic. Examine the differences between the biography of Albert Einstein and Tito Puente. Even before sharing them aloud, readers should be able to make some comments about the lives of the two individuals whose stories are being told here.




ON A BEAM OF LIGHT: A STORY OF ALBERT EINSTEIN by Jennifer Berne with illustrations by Vladimir Radunsky. Chronicle Books, 2013.

This book is not just about Einstein, it is about how ideas came to him (on a beam of light once actually). As the double page spread demonstrates, Einstein is portrayed as a real person and not as some scientist with whom kids could never identify.







TITO PUENTE: MAMBO KING (REY DEL MAMBO) by Monica Brown with illustrations by Rafael Lopez. Rayo/HarperCollins, 2013.

Meet young Tito, a boy destined to become Mambo King. This bilingual picture book, complete with the onomatopoeic sounds of rhythm instruments is bold and colorful (see the double page spread from this book below and compare it to the DPS from the Einstein picture book).