A visually stunning narrative that poses hard questions with no easy answers and highlights hope despite hardship.
A story to help us see those whom we often don’t.
When a Black girl visits her papa, they walk to a restaurant, enjoy eating breakfast together, then stroll outside and play their violins under blossoming trees. The pair spend lots of time outdoors, and so does Mr. Blue, who “lives outside,” sometimes drumming on upside-down orange buckets, sometimes playing a harmonica, but always spreading audible art throughout the neighborhood. While walking home, the little girl pelts Papa with questions about Mr. Blue: “Is he safe?” Scared? Lonely? Cold? Wet? Hungry? Papa and Mr. Blue go “all the way back”—they shared good times and bad and served in a war together, but the child’s questions shift Papa’s thinking about his unhoused friend. In a driving rainstorm, the girl insists on finding Mr. Blue to invite him inside. Joy abounds in the jam session that unfolds. Peoples’ profoundly moving and highly textured oil paintings encourage readers to slow down and absorb the details: hairstyles, facial expressions, the changing moods of the scenes. The full-color pages of the contemporary story contrast sharply with the historical black-and-white flashbacks to when Papa and Mr. Blue were younger, but through it all, it’s clear that music has brought light into Mr. Blue’s difficult existence. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A visually stunning narrative that poses hard questions with no easy answers and highlights hope despite hardship. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9780063206755
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
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
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)
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)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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