Book Review: ‘Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became The Beatles” by Susanna Reich

In 1964, the world discovered The Beatles.  But the band actually began in 1957, when teenage John Lennon met teenage Paul McCartney and his friend George and they started to play together.  After they found drummer Ringo Starr, they changed the musical world.

For  the generation who discovered The Beatles it was important to know everything about them.  Many of us passed that love and knowledge down to our children.  Now Susanna Reich and illustrator Adam Gustavson  have written a children’s book, Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became The Beatles,  to help pass the story of  what is arguably the most important group in the history of rock to the new generation.

While this book is  written simply enough to hold the interest or4 to 7 year olds, and in fact my 3-year-old granddaughter loved it. it does not talk down to children and it is very accurate in relating the story of the boys who grew up to be The Beatles. It even includes quotes from The Beatles themselves, their friends, their families, and from the newspapers of the time. It does not dwell on the darker parts of the story, such as John and Paul’s individual losses of their mothers at early ages and the tough conditions they lived in in Hamburg, but tells only enough to be appropriate for young children.

The paintings which illustrate the book make it a treasure for Beatles lovers of any age. They are beautifully done Because of these paintings and the factual yet lyrical writing, this book will continue to be looked at, read and treasured long after readers grow older than its intended age group. Coupled with an introduction to The Beatles’ music, it could become a treasure passed down from this generation to the children of the next.

The book even includes notes for the numerous quotes and sources for the material. I have seldom seen a book for such a young audience that was so well researched.

Every person who has ever loved The Beatles and would like to share that love with children might want to have this book in his or her home and consider buying it for birthday or Christmas presents or donating it to a school library or music program. Reich and Gustavson have done a huge favor for music lovers of all ages and the book is highly recommended.