Diana Ross
Eldred
1975
Submitter: What is up with the picture of her on a trashcan? There was no context for that!! [See 2nd picture below]
Holly: I know I said it before, but Diana Ross is important here in Detroit. We simply must have a good biography. Not necessarily for kids, but we need at least a Motown book that includes her. Submitter included a page from the book (last image below) that talks about her family and how she wanted a lot of children. At the time, she had two daughters. According to good ‘ol Wikipedia, she had five children total, so this book is definitely missing some of the story!
I have to say, I really like the art style, even if the images themselves are a bit confusing. Yeah, what’s up with that garbage can? And the huge roach and the arrows in the rat? WTF? And the image of her face on her torso?
Are we sure it’s even her torso? The arms are two different colors and her head is seated weird, like if someone cut her head off and sewed it onto someone else’s smaller body.
It looks like they copied Ross’ face from a photo, and then awkwardly drew a body around it later. And then put another Ross face on the body to signify that it was, in fact, supposed to be hers.
and it’s a kid’s book, so barest suggestion of a boob.
indeed, what is with the Ross trashcan photo (+ the arrowed rat & mega sized insect)?!
Gruesome, and disturbing, especially in a book for young people.
I think the trash can/rats are supposed to illustrate how Berry Gordy came from a tough neighborhood before starting Motown. Read the section of type next to the illustration.
I made the connection between the trash can and slums, but do they really use archery to kill rats in Detroit? “Oh, you said Motown? I thought you meant Mohawk.”
The garbage can illustration also reminds me of some of the lyrics to Love Child. . .”I started my life in an old, cold, run down tenement slum. . . .”
You are so right about have a “good” biography. They are often hard to find.
This looks kind of heavy for a kid’s book, and I used to read kid’s magazines about nature that showed carnivorous animals tearing into their kill. 🙂