THE BOOK OF ROCK STARS is a collective biography of “24 Musical Icons that Shine Through History”. Krull works with Alcorn’s beautiful and haunting prints to present one-page synopses of each artist’s accomplishments. These afford peeks at the artists’ characters as well as their work. Jim Morrison - “If it was forbidden, he tried it.” Janis Joplin - “She invented Pearl, a loudmouthed, hard-boiled ‘red-hot mama’ alter ego for the stage, the place where she was happiest.” Kurt Cobain - “Onstage he wore thrift-store clothes, and his hair was unwashed, sometimes stained with various colors of Kool-Aid.”

However, as Mary Elam points out in School Library Journal, “Biographical sketches, from Elvis (b. 1935) to Kurt Cobain (b. 1967), include the controversies of public and private lives without sensationalizing.” Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, Krull tells the reader, “He’d been working on a new album First Rays of the New Rising Sun, when he died at age twenty-seven from drug-related complications.” When discussing Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, she describes the concerts as “pulsing with peace, love and mind expansion.” Statements like these impart information without elaborating or connecting drug use to artistic ability.

Alcorn’s prints bring the surreal quality of “the rock star” to the book. The work is astonishing, poignant in its statements, elegant in its detail. Mick Jagger is presented in silhouette, the internal working of his head revealed to be the essence of his music. A devilish creature writhes within his skull, entwined with a serpent whose tongue flicks from Jagger’s own mouth. Yet above his head floats a record halo. In this way Alcorn captures each artist, not only in likeness, but as they are seen through the window of their contributions.

In her introduction, Krull recognizes that “every choice made for the lineup in this book might be argued over,“ but insists “all are bright icons who changed the old ways and brought in the new.” John Peters writes for Booklist that, “Readers will not only be caught up in the swirl of one of the past century’s central cultural currents but also find this an irresistible gateway to the music.” Catering to this desire, Krull presents a bibliography with both general reading and artist-specific information. Curious readers are presented with “Further Reading, Surfing, and Listening” for each artist. This is the final way that Krull brings the “rock stars” to life for her readers. Their interest piqued, perhaps someone who reads this book will end up included in their own list.