Many have tried to explain what made The Beatles great. Was it the relationships between the members, the time they spent honing their craft in Hamburg, their songwriting, their musical and recording innovations, or their being in the right spot at the right time?

Whatever the answer is, how does one explain this in children’s books? I read a recent example in We are The Beatles, an entry in the “Ordinary People Change the World” series.

As someone who has read plenty of books about The Beatles, I appreciate seeing opportunities for kids to learn about the group. With an overview of the group’s members and their career (plus some lively illustrations), this might give kids a sense of what the group was and what they accomplished. Just complete the line implied at the end of the second page depicted above: “with a little help from my friends.” (I’ve also read Who Were The Beatles? in the “Who Was” series.)

But it may be just as hard to explain to kids as it is to explain to adults. I also recently read The Genius Myth which has an extended discussion of The Beatles. If “genius” is not about a lone innovator, does this musical group help us see the relational and social alchemy that leads to genius?

As The Beatles and their music continue to age (Paul and Ringo can’t live forever, can they?), it will be interesting to see if the narratives about their success change. What might kids and adults think in 2060, one hundred years after the group worked hard to establish themselves?