Elton John

A cute, bright and colourful child version of Elton’s life, fantastic illustrations as always, such a beautiful and inviting world, along with the story of a great musical legend, must read for music fans to their children

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

trigger warning
<spoiler> lethal illness </spoiler>

Gratulations for 50 colourful books in this outstanding picture book series!

This one is all about the Rocketman, Elton John. I am sure I heard his real name before, but I seem to have forgotten this. For me, he was always there in the world, out and about and proud and wearing weird beautiful things, but most from this book I didn't know - only that he's happily married and has adopted children.

I did not know how much he did for the fight against AIDS, and this book would serve as a great entryway to talk about that topic to a little one.

Bonus points for the Freddy Mercury easter egg.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Another great addition to the Little People, BIG DREAMS collection.

This is a concise biography of Elton John, detailing his rise to stardom and his work to help fight AIDS.

These biographies are age appropriate; inspiring and interesting, but not overwhelming. They have bright, beautiful illustrations, striking covers, and look great on a shelf together.

Thank you to Quatro Publishing Group and #NetGalley for an advanced copy.

As a huge Elton John fan, I really enjoyed this - obviously it is aimed at young children so the whole 'drugs, alcohol, bulimia' was slightly brushed aside.
However, the beautiful illustrations made up for it.

I like the fact they referred the same-sex marriage of Elton John, even though it's a book for children. i liked the fact they didn't shy away from the fact that John is gay.

I would have happily read on for another 100 pages!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another absolutely lovely addition to this collection.

I really enjoy these books, despite being aimed at children. The illustrations are lovely and it is so nice to get to know about the worlds most well known people.

I definitely recommend and I can’t wait to read more books in this collection in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The more of these books I read, the more I fall in love with them. The illustrations are always beautiful and it's so nice to get a small insight into the lives of this famous figures, in this case, Elton John. I'm so grateful to read these books and I can't wait for more.

I love the books in this series and always find something new in them and this is the 50th book in the series so far - I hope that it continues and the author continues to release them just as fast!

This was a book that focused on a famous pop star - Elton John we get to read a little about his early life and his adventures once he had become famous too which includes his charity work and the setting up of his own AIDS foundation.

Lovely images and another great addition to the series - 5 stars from me for this one

A really sweet beautifully illustrated look at a flamboyant life - really well handled LGBTQ rep and is very charming.......

Another enjoyable instalment in this series. Anytime a new book comes out I know I can happily recommend it to customers.

I have loved all of the the little people big world books so far and this is no exception! The illustrations are always perfect and they manage to capture the essence of Elton John and still make it child friendly!

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were beautiful, and really stood out on the page with the use of bold and bright colours.
This book tells the story of Elton John and my favourite part of the book was when it discussed his relationship with David.
Overall I think children will enjoy the story how how Elton got started in music but this book may also be used to help with discussing LGBTQ+ relationships with younger children. .

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a change to read this book in return for an honest review.

Such a stunning book. Bright and colourful, just like Elton John himself. I read this myself before I read it to my 5 year old, he liked how colourful was and enjoyed listening to it.
I really enjoyed this, a great addition to the little people, Big Dreams series.

4,5 Stars

Since I watched the movie "Rocket Man", I knew all the details that are in this book already. But it's really good to show this side of Elton John to kids, his wilder life before he became the distinguished and respected (older) Sir who still likes to wear colorful glasses.
And after reading the book, the kids should definitely listen to his "Greatest Hits" album. My kids especially like "I'm still standing".

The exceptional Little People, BIG DREAMS series prides itself on providing child-friendly biographies of renowned public figures and celebrities and in this, the fiftieth book in the series, we explore the life and times of one of the most prominent and well-known pop artist of his generation, Sir Elton John. Despite being one of the most famous and inspirational entertainers on the planet having achieved incredible things, it's important to remember that he started life out in life as just a child with a dream. This potted biography runs from his birth (1947), early years in the London suburbs and the beginning of his love affair with music through to the first big hit of his music career, his marriage to David and the adoption of their two boys, his charity work and his knighthood from the Queen.

What's impressive is there is just enough here to enable a child to become curious yet not enough to overwhelm, and the colourful, fun illustrations by Sophie Beer complement the text perfectly. It's an educational and entertaining read which empowers young ones to pursue their dreams without limits and inspire children to dream bigger and realise their fullest potential, by introducing them to extraordinary people throughout history. It's a wonderfully engaging and simple to understand book that also helps kids with literacy and fosters an enjoyment of reading. You simply cannot go wrong with this series in general as everything is executed perfectly and tailored beautifully to youngsters. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an ARC.

This is the first “Little people, Big Dreams” book I have read. Where have I been??? I loved it! It tells the life story of the amazing Elton John in an age-appropriate lovely way. The illustrations are great - wonderfully bold colours and the attention to detail is great!
I will definitely be looking into getting copies of this and other books in the series for the school I work at, as they would be a marvellous addition to the library!

Another great addition to the Little People, big dreams series.
I love the diversity of people covered in this series, in a really accessible way for children.
Some great illustrations and simple text with the added bonus of factual information at the end.
A great book.

Full disclosure: I LOVE Elton John’s music. Like, the “I can sing every word, obsessed with the Rocket Man movie, cried at the John Lewis advert” kind of love. So this book is all kinds of perfect for me. Also, just look at the illustrations! I mean, how perfectly has Sophie Beer managed to capture the flamboyance of his outfits and performances?!

There are 3 things that particularly stand out for me within these pages.

1. The wonderful way in which Elton’s family is portrayed at the end. A great book to buy if you’re looking for one that normalises homosexuality, same-sex marriage and families with 2 dads
2. The story of how Elton suffered with his mental health, despite the fact that it looked from the outside as though he had everything he ever dreamed of, and how he managed to overcome that.
3. How in his childhood he turned to music to help him deal with difficult times and learned that music brings people together. To me, this is a message that can’t be conveyed strongly enough right now.

Another totally inspirational book in this series – bravo! Thanks to Quarto Kids for gifting me an e-copy to review. I’ll definitely be going out to buy a hard copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto see Publishing Group for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
I do try and champion these Little People, big dreams books wherever I can. I think they’re absolutely fabulous. Such succinct little sound bites are given on these famous lives, that really serve to keep little readers engaged with and interested in.
This one on Elton John is no exception, and it does not shy away from the sad and depressing elements of his life either. The colour palette used Is very reminiscent of the neon psychedelic colours used when Elton was at the height of his career. Really enjoyed this, and learnt something as well

As with other books in this set Little People, Big Dreams, it follows the story of well known people. I really enjoy these books because you get to learn more about people you have heard about but not necessarily know about their early life and how they become the people they are today. This book - Elton John, is full of easy to read text and cute pictures. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this cool book.

I absolutely adore the Little People, Big Dreams series and this book, focusing on Elton John did not disappoint. Filled with glorious illustrations, these texts are a fabulous springboard for classroom discussion. I love how they cover such a broad range of famous faces, from scientists to musicians.

The story of Elton John gives a very brief overview of the life of this famous musician. I love how sensitively any potentially emotionally-fraught issues are dealt with and how important characteristics and qualities are highlighted. The illustrations are remarkable.

I will be using this book as part of my Person of the Week work in a Year 5 classroom and think it would be a welcome addition to any school bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another spectacular addition to this collection. The story of a boy who wanted to change the world and never forgot his friend. Gorgeous exciting illustrations. The costumes worn by Elton in the story are so beautiful. So excited to read more of these!

He’s a rocket man, he’ll fight you on a Saturday night, and whatever you do, don’t let the sun go down on him. For years, Elton John has been one of the most colourful and charismatic people in pop and I was ecstatic to see him given his own Little People, Big Dreams book.

Reginald Kenneth (yes, he wasn’t born as Elton John) was born in a London suburb and he found comfort in music at an early age. A scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music would provide the most solid of foundations for his musical knowledge. It was at a failed audition where his life would change though as it was here that he met Bernie Taupin. Bernie’s talent for songwriting and Elton’s melodies would see the duo create songs that would be listened to around the world. As is so often the case, with fame comes loneliness and sadness and Elton would be no exception. But he would eventually find happiness in his personal life and has become an LGBTQ+ icon. For children with big dreams of a career in music, the story of Elton John is proof that if you have the talent then you will make it.

In a career spanning almost fifty years, Elton has performed to millions of fans on stages all around the world and his many hit songs have earned him fame and fortune. His music has seen him perform at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and he wrote a special song for the funeral of his friend Princess Diana. In addition to his music, he is known for his charitable work for the Elton John AIDS Foundation which he set up in memory of a friend. His charitable and musical achievements have been recognised by the Queen who honoured Elton with a knighthood.

The story of Elton John is as colourful and as wonderful as the man himself. His larger than life personality and his musical appeal transcends generations and his music is as popular today as it has ever been. Delightfully illustrated with bright and bold artwork and with a story told in short and simple sentences, this is a cracking read about one of music’s true stars. At the back of the the book there is a short overview of Elton’s life which includes key facts and dates and a historical timeline featuring photographs.

Recommended for 5+.

With thanks to Netgalley and Frances Lincoln Publishers for the ARC.

Another fantastic offering from the Little People Big Dreams series, telling the story of the flamboyant Elton John. Told in child-friendly language and with illustrations that feel to pop out of the page, this is a great introduction to Elton John for young readers. As a primary school music lead, I'll definitely be adding this one to our school library!

I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.