A plausible mission of artists is to make people
appreciate being alive at least a little bit.
(When) asked if I know of any artists who pulled
that off, I reply, “The Beatles did.”
–    writer Kurt Vonnegut
Quote from The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny)

For those of us who were around when The Beatles first performed in the United States, it seems impossible to comprehend that happened 50 years ago. Beatlemania overtook the nation, and there was no looking back for Paul, George, John and Ringo.I remember watching The Fab Four with my extended family in 1964, during their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. All of our reactions were different as we watched the group perform; my grandparents were shocked, my mother and aunt sat quietly, but my uncle, my brother and I were enthralled.
Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer’s delightful picture book biography, The Beatles Were Fab (And They Were Funny), illustrated by Stacy Innerst (Harcourt, 2013), chronicles the rise of this influential group of musicians. A new world opened with their music.