WHEN PAUL MET ARTIE

Two boys from New York City briefly but spectacularly captured the spirit of 1960s music.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel grew up in the same traditional white, Jewish Queens neighborhood in the 1950s. They both loved to listen to the radio and sing. Meeting each other in school led to friendship and the realization that their two voices created a magical harmony. Their journey to success was difficult, with more downs than ups, but eventually—in the turbulent years of the ’60s—they created the sound that still resonates among so many of their generation. Neri’s free-verse narrative is compelling to read and written with deep admiration for the duo. Each segment of their lives is presented in a two-page spread headlined by one of their song or album titles. Litchfield’s digitally created art beautifully captures streets, bridges, and neighborhoods in New York along with depictions of their performances and of those by singers who influenced them, such as Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. Music lovers and fans will delight in sharing this book with young family and friends and will surely appreciate the listing of musical connections of songs and singers that were important in their musical partnership.

Part nostalgia, part history, and all tuneful.