Define "Slight," Please
Recently I attended an informative book talk hosted by an educator/books festival impresario. She discussed 60 books in 90 minutes and her knowledge of the genres was impressive. However, she kept referring to the picture book biographies being reviewed as "slight." These "partial" stories did not include birth to grave information.Now, being a non-fiction aficionado, beginning my first draft of architect Mary Colter's life, I beg to disagree. A partial take on someone's life is not "slight," it's actually a creative way to draw young children into a true story. These slice of life stories are a way to open up a biographee's life via little-known facts, a focus on one event, or on the motivating circumstances that created the drive to be unique or outstanding. I personally find this type of biography fascinating, and I know kids and their teachers would prefer them, too!
