Coco Chanel

Pocket Bios

by Al Berenger

A colorfully illustrated, pocket-size picture book biography of renowned fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel, French fashion designer and businesswoman, is famous for founding the famous Chanel brand and for popularizing a new, more sporty and relaxed aesthetic for women's clothing. Follow Chanel's life and accomplishments from her childhood in Saumur to her eventual creation of the successful couture empire she's known for today.

Pocket Bios are full of personality, introducing readers to fascinating figures from history with simple storytelling and cheerful illustrations. Titles include men and women from history, exploration, the sciences, the arts, the ancient world, and more.

Genres: Fashion, Biography

40 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2018

Reviews

[Alicia]

For what it is: a pocket biography it gets the job done. It’s got a layout that provides information in bite-sized pieces with an illustration to accompany it for each two-page spread in the vein of Ordinary People Change the World and Who Is/Who Was where the people are caricatures of themselves.

It doesn’t shy away from hard topics, instead it provides a chronological framework that anyone can read and say “I want to know about this part” of their life. I’d totally read more of these.

[Deborah]

A brief introduction of Coco Chanel. Born in 1883, she was sent to an orphanage at 12 after her mother died. A nun taught her to sew. She learned to design clothes, had a millinery, produced purses, and created Chanel No. 5. The style setter died at 87 years old the Hotel Ritz.

[Ro Menendez]

The Pocket Bio Series should not be mistaken for a very young reader's beginner's biography because of it's physical dimensions and cartoon-style illustrations. Its word count is much higher and events such as racism, suicide, and loss of life through war and violence are mentioned as part of the story of the subject's life, when applicable. Each spread has a title and text on the left side, including the years the events detailed on the page took place, and a related illustration on the right side. our interesting and useful sections are at the end of each biography: a Timeline with added events not necessarily mentioned in the text, a map that details the locations of important events with a Map Key and a short description of why the location was included, and most interesting of all a People to Know section that explores the idea that the subject of the biography did not live, work and achieve in isolation, the last section, Did You Know? offers interesting facts not discussed in the main text. A few of Coco Chanel's Pocket Bio events worth mentioning: she learned to sew from the nuns in the orphanage where she lived, they influenced her so that she preferred to use white and black in her designs, after World War II she was accused of being a spy for the enemy but she denied it, she designed clothing, bags, perfumes and jewelry. This biography gives readers, grades 2 and up, enough information to decide if they wish to pursue a more in depth study of the subject's life. There are not many biographies for elementary school readers on Chanel, this Pocket Bio helps fill that gap.

[Barbara]

These Pocket Bios books literally are small enough to fit into a pocket or a pocket book, making them easy to transport. In this one, readers learn about fashion designer, Coco Chanel, and how her designs and style changed the way women dressed. Just about everyone has heard about her little black dress and her perfume, Chanel No. 5, but it is not likely they know about her impoverished background and the time she spent with nuns or some of the other tragedies in her life. It can certainly be argued that she rose to fame and influence at the behest of the wealthy men in her life, which makes this account of her life something of a white wash, but it can also be claimed that she simply seized the moment and took advantage of the opportunities provided to her. Hers is an interesting inclusion in this series, and as with the other titles in the series, this one features notable moments and individuals and places that were important to Coco Chanel.

[Michelle]

Series title: Pocket Bios

Audience: 1-5 grades
Curriculum Connections: biographies, social studies, time lines, research

Text Features: section headings, timeline, map with key, "People to Know" section, "Did you know" section, wide margins, attractive illustrations

One distracting illustration is on the "America" page. Coco's escort seems angry and is hand is outstretched in a "stay away" pose. This is not explained in the adjacent text and is confusing.

This short and impactful series introduces readers to the background, actions, and results of historical figures' lives. This is a great starting place for a research project.

[Pat]

6" x 7" 29 page beginner biography of French fashion designer Coco Chanel which illustrates her life from being a singer to designing clothes for people around the world. A timeline, a map with pictures and descriptions of locations where she lived during her lifetime, people who influenced her and a "Did you know?" section complete the book.

[Victoria B.]

3.5 stars.
A little too wordy/high-level content for younger readers, but just the right amount for tricking my 3rd graders into thinking they're reading an "easy" book with cute illustrations.