I Am Mozart, Too: The Lost Genius of Maria Anna Mozart

Description

To everyone who has heard of my famous younger brother, Wolfgang, but has never heard of me. Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart makes music fit for angels. Songs pour from her like water over the Austrian riverbanks in springtime. When she and her brother play the harpsichord together, she feels confident and carefree. But everything changes when Wolfgang plays a sonata Nannerl has composed. Papa fumes. Girls are not allowed to compose! Girls belong behind the curtain! Nannerl is pressed into a marriage after she turns eighteen that stifles her song, but her creativity and love for her brother still soars. With vivid, evocative art by Adelina Lirius, author Audrey Ades tells a powerful story about music, feminism, ambition, and the girl who was and always will be a Mozart.

Audrey Ades grew up in New England and holds degrees in theater and psychology. She is the author of Judah Touro Didn't Want to Be Famous and The Reverend and the Rabbi. She lives in South Florida with her husband, son, and persnickety Pomeranian, Cookie. audreyadesbooks.com Adelina Lirius is an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden. She loves painting imaginary scenes, portraying nature, and depicting the diffferent cultures she grew up with. Adelina is the illustrator of a picture book adaptation of The Secret Garden and The Fort. adelinalirius.com

A must-buy for any collection. Not only is this a story that needs to be shared, but the back matter educates young readers on critical reading distinctions. -- School Library Journal, starred review This empathically rendered portrayal of a lesser-known musical wunderkind, with fanciful gouache and digital art by Lirius that visualizes music's flow, highlights the figure's talent and passion while asking whether her legacy could have been more extensive. -- Publishers Weekly The gouache and digital illustrations . . . are sublime, painted in delicate shades with whimsical touches and flowing floral scroll motifs. -- Kirkus Reviews