The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Farmer, Bonnie

Oscar Lives Next Door: A Story Inspired by Oscar Peterson's Childhood

32 pp. | Owlkids | September, 2015 | Trade ISBN 978-1-77147-104-6 $16.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Marie Lafrance. In this combination of fact and fiction, next-door-neighbor Millie recounts how she and (future jazz pianist) Oscar grew up in the tight-knit black suburb of Little Burgundy, Montreal. Oscar's childhood bout with TB, which prompted his switch from trumpet to piano, forms the climax of the plot, which then dribbles to an end. Warm, rounded illustrations effectively convey both the cityscape and the characters' emotions. Bib.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian