The Little Golden Books has existed for more than 80 years, but continues to keep up with the times with a series of contemporary biographies, including this one of Elton John.
The book starts with the childhood of Reginald Dwight, a shy child who found an early love of and talent for music. We follow him through his teen years of performing in pubs, his meeting with songwriter Bernie Taupin and their lifelong musical partnership, and Dwight’s transformation into Elton John, which he felt was a cooler persona for rock and roll. He knew how to grab attention and the crowds loved him, although “he didn’t take himself too seriously” and wore a variety of over-the-top costumes. Later, looking to try something new, he wrote the music for the Disney movie The Lion King, which won an Academy Award and later became a Broadway show.
And in 1993, the book tells us, “Elton met David Furnish, a filmmaker from Canada. They fell in love, got married, and had two kids, Zachary and Elijah. His family made Elton very happy.”
We see him use his fame to start a charity that helps people with AIDS, “a disease that attacks the body’s immune system,” and we learn that “He—and his music—helped lift people up when they were sad or lonely.”
Adults may need to explain a few small points, like what the “Academy Awards,” “Broadway,” or an “Oscar party” are, or who Princess Diana and John Lennon were. but overall, the book manages to distill Elton John’s life into something simple and relatable for younger readers, with a few light but important messages about working hard, overcoming nerves, and making a difference through the arts.
