An energetic, entertaining narrative about the Fab Four follows the group from its early days to the heights of Beatlemania, with an emphasis on their quirky humor and love of music-making, and how fame affected it all. Among the tidbits engagingly recounted: "When they wrote 'She Loves You,' Paul's father begged them to change its 'yeah, yeah yeah' line to a more proper 'yes, yes, yes,' but Paul laughed the idea off with a 'no, no no.'" In interviews, they moved easily from self-deprecation to droll humor to dry wit. Eventually, the ever-growing legions of fans turned into screaming hordes, going from something the band found funny to something that eventually became alarming. It was one of a number of things that marked the beginning of the end of Beatlemania, but young readers can feel a bit of the excitement in this animated account accompanied by pitch-perfect illustrations. (Ages 7-10)

Q: How do you find all this business of having screaming girls following you all over the place?
George: Well, we feel flattered . . .
John: . . . and flattened. When the Beatles burst onto the music scene in the early 1960s, they were just four unknown lads from Liverpool. But soon their off-the-charts talent and offbeat humor made them the most famous band on both sides of the Atlantic. Lively, informative text and expressive, quirky paintings chronicle the phenomenal rise of Beatlemania, showing how the Fab Four's sense of humor helped the lads weather everything that was thrown their way--including jelly beans.