[close] John Lennon had two opportunities to be a father. His first son, Julian, was born in 1963 at the dawning of Beatlemania. The impact of the Beatles' success on John and Julian's relationship? Suffice to say Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" as a gesture of sympathy to a forlorn young Julian. Fatherhood fit John Lennon far better the next time around when the indulgent daddy, then in his late 30s, put his musical career on hold to indulge his second son, Sean. Evidence of Lennon the doting dad can be found in this 48-page collection of sun-drenched illustrations sketched out to entertain a toddling offspring. The once-caustic ex-Beatle betrays not a hint of his scathing side in these vivid drawings. Rather, the witty punster who was dubbed the "smart Beatle" after he published the prose collection In His Own Write in 1964 is in full flower here. An illustration christened "Collieflower" shows a budding plant with the face of a canine; "A Frog Pondering" displays a reflective amphibian overlooking a puddle. Real Love is the kind of book that will capture the attention of Beatles collectors, but it should also spark the imaginations of its intended audience--little Lennonists in the making. --Steven Stolder [close]