Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry)

Golio and Young create a lively and poetic homage to Charlie Chaplin…Young’s ink and torn paper collage–work includes newsprint, colored paper, fabrics, and shadowy silhouettes; the sophisticated, abstract images communicate the exaggerated theatricality of silent film, as well as Chaplin’s iconic style and underlying complexity.—Publishers Weekly (starred review)Golio and Young’s final product is one with undeniable appeal…Young’s collage-and-ink art, with its signature abstractness, is made especially accessible: its shadows, shapes, and outlines suggest and show the subject’s evolution up until the last page turn, when an instantly recognizable photograph of Chaplin’s iconic character cinematically snaps it all into place…a bottom-corner page flip animates the Tramp’s signature walk; and the entire package will indeed bring a smile.—Booklist (starred review)Children meet Chaplin in this intimate biography of the iconic silent-film comedian, whose movies, humor, and story grow ever more distant to each generation of readers…Observant readers might notice the black silhouette of a little tramp in the bottom-right corner of each spread. Those intuitive enough to flip the pages will delight in a primitive but undeniably magical experience. Readers who watch him waddle their way and extend a wave are certain to return his timeless greeting.—Kirkus ReviewsThe duo that illuminated musicians Bird and Diz present the backstory of an internationally acclaimed silent film star, director, and composer…Thoughtful design presents the blank verse rendered in white on black—or the reverse—paying homage to the subject’s filmmaking, as does the tramp silhouette on the base of each recto that animates when flipped. ­Adults will appreciate the informative and creative approach, as well as the afterword, bibliography, and textual nod to the titular lyrics. Children will cheer for the class clown’s success.—School Library JournalThis biography of an icon of the silent film will charm its readers with the exquisite, colorful ink and torn-paper collage images and its lyrical text.—New York Journal of BooksSmile pairs a wonderful tale that brings a lyrical quality to the story and beautiful illustrations that will capture any little and not so little one’s attention.—The Way We Watch (blog)An outstanding tribute to a genuine icon of the entertainment industry, Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) is fascinating and thoroughly inspirational in every way.—Kendal A. Rautzhan’s “Books to Borrow…Books to Buy”Ed Young’s illustrations…evoke Chaplin’s black-and-white movies and his versatile physicality, adding the perfect (occasionally comical) touch to the story.—Virginian-Pilot

Gary Golio is the author of Bird & Diz, also illustrated by Ed Young. He has written several best-selling and award-winning picture-book biographies, including Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, When Bob Met Woody, and Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey. Gary Golio lives in Hudson Valley, New York.

Ed Young (1931-2023) was the illustrator of more than one hundred books for children, many of which he also wrote. Among them is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated, as well as Bird & Diz and Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry), both by Gary Golio. Ed Young’s artwork was inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting.