Well, here’s what my publisher, Abrams, says on its website about Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies:
“This lyrical biography explores the life and art of Yoko Ono, from her childhood haiku to her avant-garde visual art and experimental music. An outcast throughout most of her life, and misunderstood by every group she was supposed to belong to, Yoko always followed her own unique vision to create art that was ahead of its time and would later be celebrated. Her focus remained on being an artist, even when the rest of world saw her only as the wife of John Lennon.
“Yoko Ono’s moving story will inspire any young adult who has ever felt like an outsider, or who is developing or questioning ideas about being an artist, to follow their dreams and find beauty in all that surrounds them.”
If you want, you can buy the book from Abrams here.
If you want the audio version (read by Allison Hiroto, this incredible Japanese American actress who made me realize that I have never once pronounced the name of single member of Yoko’s family correctly), you can buy it from Audible here.
Here’s one of my favorite (for self-aggrandizing reasons) blogs about the book.
Radio Interview Re: Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies:
You can listen to (most of; the end is cut off) the great Texas media personality Donna Wick’s interview with me(I told myself not to talk fast…and failed). It’s the February 17, 2013, show; look on the lower right.
Some Reviews:
Clean text space, delicate but legible font, and scads of photographic portraiture and art piece reproductions of excellent clarity contribute to an overall book design worthy of its subject.
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
A detailed portrait of a complex woman who for several reasons has a significant place in our cultural history. Even rabid fans of Lennon or the 1960s will find new information and angles in this searching study.
— Kirkus Reviews
This beautifully produced, comprehensive, and highly sympathetic biography of the artist covers her entire life, reporting her influences and her accomplishments, and bringing her out from behind the shadow of her famous husband.
— School Library Journal
This is handsomely designed and generously illustrated; it is also well researched and filled with intriguing details. There’s not a lot for young people about Ono. They will find this a good starting place.
— Booklist
Distinctions:
2014 Amelia Bloomer Project list
YALSA’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound 2014 list
Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s Choices 2014 title