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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Andy Warhol?
Best known for his screen prints of soup cans and movie stars, this shy young boy from Pittsburgh shot to fame with his radical ideas of what “art” could be. Working in the aptly named “Factory,” Warhol’s paintings, movies, and eccentric lifestyle blurred the lines between pop culture and art, ushering in the Pop Art movement and, with it, a national obsession. Who Was Andy Warhol? tells the story of an enigmatic man who grew into a cultural icon.
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 2, 2020
Project Learning English by myself through children's books. "Andy Warhol in his own words:
"I like boring things."
"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own."
"Sometimes the little times you don't think are anything while they're happening turn out to be what marks a whole period of your life." (Page 94)
"I like boring things."
"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
"I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own."
"Sometimes the little times you don't think are anything while they're happening turn out to be what marks a whole period of your life." (Page 94)
October 23, 2025
Who Was…? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Andy Warhol who was the founder of the Pop Art movement.
Andrew Warhol (1928-1987) was born in Pittsburgh to emigrant family from Slovakia. He liked reading comic books. His mother encouraged him to draw as he had a gift for art.
At seventeen, he entered the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he was studying painting and design. His teachers saw his talent but he had difficulty following the assignments. He struggled during his first year.
During summer time, he worked selling fruits and vegetables with his brother, and at the same time, sketching the customers.
For a city art exhibition, he drew a boy picking his nose. His drawing wasn’t picked but people certainly talked about it. He was learning how to get attention.
After college, he moved to NYC where he got a job for a magazine drawing the ads for different products. He was doing well for himself and winning awards, but he dreamed of his pictures being sold in galleries and displayed in museums.
A friend of his helped him develop his own style in modern art. Andy began to paint his soup cans. He developed his style in something people saw every day.
His first gallery show was at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles in 1962 which wasn’t a success but he continued to make a name for himself. He became part of the Pop Art.
He liked celebrating everyday life through his paintings. Then, he started experimenting with silk-screen process. He used pictures of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. People were noticing his art more and more.
Then, he was offered his own show at the Stable Gallery in NYC. Every painting at this show sold. He was a success.
He kept creating more art and also venturing in other artistic fields including movies, becoming a manager of a rock band, and starting a magazine called Interview.
At fifty-eight, he died of complications after gallbladder operation.
This biography exemplifies a man who dreamed big and persisted in his pursuit of what he believed in. Growing up, he received a good structure from his mother who encouraged him to draw when seeing his talent. Thus, whenever he had a chance he was drawing something or someone but the subject matter that was at his heart was everyday things or people. Even though it wasn’t something that resonated with people at first, he persisted because he believed in it. He stayed on the path that made him happy and that took him to the very top, to the most famous who started knocking at his door.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Andrew Warhol (1928-1987) was born in Pittsburgh to emigrant family from Slovakia. He liked reading comic books. His mother encouraged him to draw as he had a gift for art.
At seventeen, he entered the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he was studying painting and design. His teachers saw his talent but he had difficulty following the assignments. He struggled during his first year.
During summer time, he worked selling fruits and vegetables with his brother, and at the same time, sketching the customers.
For a city art exhibition, he drew a boy picking his nose. His drawing wasn’t picked but people certainly talked about it. He was learning how to get attention.
After college, he moved to NYC where he got a job for a magazine drawing the ads for different products. He was doing well for himself and winning awards, but he dreamed of his pictures being sold in galleries and displayed in museums.
A friend of his helped him develop his own style in modern art. Andy began to paint his soup cans. He developed his style in something people saw every day.
His first gallery show was at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles in 1962 which wasn’t a success but he continued to make a name for himself. He became part of the Pop Art.
He liked celebrating everyday life through his paintings. Then, he started experimenting with silk-screen process. He used pictures of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. People were noticing his art more and more.
Then, he was offered his own show at the Stable Gallery in NYC. Every painting at this show sold. He was a success.
He kept creating more art and also venturing in other artistic fields including movies, becoming a manager of a rock band, and starting a magazine called Interview.
At fifty-eight, he died of complications after gallbladder operation.
This biography exemplifies a man who dreamed big and persisted in his pursuit of what he believed in. Growing up, he received a good structure from his mother who encouraged him to draw when seeing his talent. Thus, whenever he had a chance he was drawing something or someone but the subject matter that was at his heart was everyday things or people. Even though it wasn’t something that resonated with people at first, he persisted because he believed in it. He stayed on the path that made him happy and that took him to the very top, to the most famous who started knocking at his door.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
December 1, 2022
Andy Warhol had One of those minds that made you think "I Wonder what life would be like through His Eyes" & This Book Shows you that.
August 13, 2018
I just love this short story series of books telling of different people's lives. I will admit I am not really a fan of Andy Warhol art but I did love learning about his life and how he got started doing pop art. Did you know that pop tart is a play on the words pop art. I definitely learn a lot from these books. I highly recommend them to everyone especially if you like to peep into other people's lives like I do.
August 9, 2024
super interesting to learn about his life, and the impact he had on today's society. I highly suggest taking a look at the museum website:
https://www.warhol.org/
https://www.warhol.org/
February 23, 2017
Andy Warhol was a very interesting, and eccentric man. This book was a great snapshot into his life, and showed that anything can be turned into art. Follow your dreams!
October 10, 2024
This is clearly written for the middle school age student. That being said, this short biography provides a succinct narrative of the life of Andy Warhol, while dealing honestly yet sensitively with issues of sexuality and drug use. There are also short digressions into cultural issues during his life, including the influence of Andrew Carnegie, a description of abstract expressionist painters and their art, the origin of "pop art," and the role of Studio 54. Needless to say though, anyone looking for a detailed analysis of his life and art should look elsewhere.
January 15, 2017
A very informative and interesting read. For people, who are interested in Warhol - this is a quick read you cam finish in an hour.
The writing was very simple and the illustrations were very helpful.
The writing was very simple and the illustrations were very helpful.
February 19, 2015
My 9yo says, "It was fun learning about this artist!"
July 30, 2018
I have been seeking out children's books as a tangent to a section of my book on Susan Sontag, which includes part of a chapter devoted to her and Warhol. It has seemed to me that Warhol is particularly childlike--whimsical, playful, likes to share--and Pop Art is easily accessible to children, although one can go deep with any of his works as well (sorry to use the surface/depth dichotomy that Sontag rightly rejects). However, his queerness, his shooting by a disturbed young follower, and his celebrity may not be appropriate for young readers. Seeing how this is navigated fascinates me. This particular volume does it quiet well and is part of a series of works called Who? What? Where? which has volumes on President Obama, Frieda Kahlo and others who have, in their greatness, shaped our lives.
April 15, 2019
Fantastic!
I learned things about Andy Warhol that I hadn't known before. Among other things, I had no idea Andy's mother lived with him until he was 42 years old. And I forgot that he'd been shot.
Andy's fame spanned tumultuous times in NYC's East Village in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The changing cultural scene of that time - the Factory, Studio 54. Experimentation with more than just art.. this is written about in a simple, matter of fact way.
It's a great introduction to the merge from abstract expressionists to pop art.
At about 100 pages each, I can't get enough of these biographies for young people.
They're engaging, interesting, and informative.
Fun to learn more about Andy Warhol, I thought this one was very well done.
I learned things about Andy Warhol that I hadn't known before. Among other things, I had no idea Andy's mother lived with him until he was 42 years old. And I forgot that he'd been shot.
Andy's fame spanned tumultuous times in NYC's East Village in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The changing cultural scene of that time - the Factory, Studio 54. Experimentation with more than just art.. this is written about in a simple, matter of fact way.
It's a great introduction to the merge from abstract expressionists to pop art.
At about 100 pages each, I can't get enough of these biographies for young people.
They're engaging, interesting, and informative.
Fun to learn more about Andy Warhol, I thought this one was very well done.
September 14, 2020
Andy Warhol was a revolutionary personality. He taught everyone to be famous, even if it was just for 15 minutes. He was an amazing artist. He was also a leader that made the world around him something different. The stories of his education and career are fascinating. Everyone should find books like this one to learn about Andy and his world.
January 7, 2021
Andy Warhol is the representative artist in the 1950s. From him, I learned that everyone can be a superstar just by being himself or herself. It makes me laugh that he had an operation on his skin. I seem to be a overly self-consciou. If I become known to be like this and that, I will not change easily.
April 24, 2025
Before this I’d only known Andy Warhol as the Campbells Soup guy. I had no idea he’d been through so much and done so much. I also liked that there was a timeline at the end of the book of his life and also the world and things that he did art on.
I discovered this book by chance but I love the authors style and will definitely read more of hers.
I discovered this book by chance but I love the authors style and will definitely read more of hers.
October 2, 2021
It was phenomenal in every way. I loved how his life went from so low, to doing soup cans, dating only 3 men on the way, and becoming the person his child self would have thought was so cool. I think he inspires many of us, and will forever be in the readers mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2022
I liked the book but if your kids want to read it they do say that Andy Wharol took drugs so just for the heads up but over all it was a great book usually when I read biographies I hate them but this one was so good!
Quick read
Quick read
October 5, 2017
this book was very interesting, and a lot of work was put into it.
October 19, 2017
Audiobook
March 8, 2018
An elementary age level biography of multiple medium artist Andy Warhol who not only provided great art but was a cultural fixture at the time. very interesting but for upper elementary.
August 15, 2018
Okay read since I know very little about Warhol.
Still not impressed with his artwork.
Still not impressed with his artwork.
June 13, 2019
Didn't know much at all about the subject (just the Campbell's Soup cans) but a pretty interesting fellow.
April 30, 2021
I really didn't know he was such a fascinating man. He was also very talented. He died way to young.
March 5, 2022
High level easy read for young people. I enjoyed learning about him in a concentrated way. There were plenty of details while still being high level. Will definitely enjoy reading more in this series
August 1, 2022
Such a unique life, found him mysterious and yet so out there as an artist, the type of person that shapes reality. Nice reading as always with the "who was..." books
September 12, 2022
Andy Warhol is best known for his Campbell Soup paintings but he did many more things throughout his lifetime. This book tells of his time in advertising, music and various other fields.
February 23, 2023
I forget half of it after reading for a day.
May 20, 2023
I knew absolutely nothing about Andy Warhol so this book was interesting to me.
July 27, 2023
Concise and pleasantly surprisingly packed with excellent, fun, and interesting facts and stories.
January 3, 2024
A lot of things I hadn't know about Andy Warhol!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews