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SIPPI SUE AND THE COOL CAT BLUES

Name: SIPPI SUE AND THE COOL CAT BLUES
Author: Beth Greenway
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2267-2

by Beth Greenway ; illustrated by Jamie Meckel Tablason ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017

This cat’s one-toothed smile will charm even the most ardent dog person.

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Sippi Sue’s one blues-loving puss.

Orange, smiling kitty Sippi Sue lives in a Mississippi Delta town. She grooves through her day to the sounds around her. Rain gives a good beat: “pitter-patter on the sill, / a drip-drip-dripping that’s so chill, / a plop-plop-plopping jive until / the rain begins to pound.” Napping in a crate, she dreams of cream and fish and then steals a treat from the butcher when the rain’s done. She struts past the riverboats at the docks. She plays a tune on garbage cans by jumping on their lids and scoots across town jiving to the ambient beat of her neighborhood. As night falls, she hears the sound of a juke joint and dances with the other cats to the “crazy cool cat blues.” Mississippian Greenway’s paw-tapping, onomatopoeic text about a happy cat’s finding music in her day will appeal to cat and music lovers. The rhyme has as much of a beat as the music it celebrates, but there’s not much tale to this tale. Tablason’s luminous, vibrant, adorably cartoony illustrations, nearly all full-bleed, are the real standout. The bayou comes through, and Sippi Sue practically dances off the pages.

This cat’s one-toothed smile will charm even the most ardent dog person. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4556-2267-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Pelican

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
A TRUE PRINCESS OF HAWAI‘I
by Beth Greenway ; illustrated by Tammy Yee

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THERE'S A ROCK CONCERT IN MY BEDROOM

by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2022

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.

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Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.

Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: March 29, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEACH IN MY BEDROOM
by Kevin Jonas & Danielle Jonas ; illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE

by Katheryn Russell-Brown ; illustrated by Frank Morrison ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)

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Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.

Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.

Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)