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(3)
K-3
Fernández Nitsche follows the life of iconic Argentinian folk singer and social activist Mercedes Sosa (1935–2009), from her humble working-class upbringing to her enduring posthumous legacy as a “voice of the voiceless.” Readers learn about Sosa’s off-the-cuff first public performance at the age of fifteen; her evolution from timorous greenhorn to world-renowned, powerhouse songstress; and her musical innovation. On spreads portraying age-appropriate scenes of protest and dictatorship, Sosa’s human rights advocacy is recognized, courageous work that led to her imprisonment, exile, and eventual status as a national and Latin American hero. Readers may be left wanting to know what enabled Sosa’s triumphant repatriation. Back matter includes a biographical timeline, a glossary of Spanish words used in the text, and a playlist of the author’s favorite Sosa songs. A fitting tribute to a cultural lodestar.
32 pp.
| Candlewick Studio
| September, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-9597-2$17.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Levi Pinfold.
During their final visit to an abandoned Northumberland, England, settlement before a dam floods the valley, a young fiddler and her father make music inside the boarded-up houses. The narrative, based on a true story about real-life folk musicians Kathryn and Mike Tickell, is elegiac and melancholy; dark and moody pictures in shades of gray and sepia break into joy with a serene blue lake reflecting a light-filled sky.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2018
48 pp.
| HarperCollins/B+B
| June, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-236825-6$18.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Nikki McClure.
With terrific enthusiasm for his subject, musician-author Meloy uses rhyming verse to tell Seeger's story, paying equal tribute to the singer's musical and activist efforts. The text is by turns clever, cute, and exhausting. Bannerlike gold bands emblazoned with song lyrics festoon McClure's striking cut-paper art in black, white, and gold. Recommended listening and notes are appended. Timeline. Bib.
48 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-8174-6$17.99
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
David Litchfield.
Neri's pleasantly nostalgia-drenched picture-book biography explores Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's meeting of musical minds. Although it's not especially lyrical, the quite-lengthy text is laid out like verse, and this, compounded by the outsize book's almost-square dimensions, creates the look of song lyrics on a record sleeve. The heavily retro vibe is reinforced by plenty of visual motifs that leave readers feelin' groovy. Bib.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2018
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Higgins Bond.
On their Tennessee farm, Lorraine and Pa Paw make beautiful music together--he on his harmonica, and she on her pennywhistle. However, when things begin disappearing on the farm and a fierce storm arises, Lorraine and Pa Paw have to depend on their voices to make music and chase away fear. Written in rhyming verse and realistically illustrated with setting-evoking detail, the folkloric story is one of nostalgia and finding joy.
48 pp.
| Chronicle
| January, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4521-4857-1$17.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh.
As a child, African American folk musician Elizabeth Cotten (1893–1987) taught her left-handed self to play guitar; then "time swept Libba up," and she stopped playing. As a grandmother, she's serendipitously hired as a housekeeper by the Seeger family, who rediscovered her talent and helped Cotten bring her music to the world. Fazlalizadeh's art, rendered in graphite with feathery digital coloring, complements Veirs's unpretentious prose exquisitely. Websites.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2018
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Donald Saaf.
Music Notation by Claudia Eliaza and Billy Buss. This collection of sixty-four songs--including traditional shanties, hymns, folk songs, and original tunes by Zane--targets music-savvy educators and caregivers. The songs, from many cultures and languages, shine amid Zane's lengthy, sentimental notes about song origins, musicians, and instruments. The childlike folk art features children with a diversity of skin tones. Musical notation includes chords and melody line; guitar and ukulele chord charts also provided. Ind.
280 pp.
| Greenwillow
| May, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-056486-5$16.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-06-223927-3
(3)
4-6
Eleven-year-old Jupiter's aunt adopted a child from Ethiopia, but when Aunt Amy receives a cancer diagnosis, Edom, seven, is sent to live with Jupiter's family of wandering folk-music buskers. The family--with Edom and sans Jupiter's absentee dad--finally settles down in Portland, Oregon, where they garden and forage. Themes of familial bonds and belonging pervade this bighearted story about a unique family.
48 pp.
| Bloomsbury
| March, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-3812-7$17.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Adam Gustavson.
Following a foreword by singer Peter Yarrow, this biography of troubadour Seeger packs a storied life into relatively few pages but doesn't skimp on the essentials. Reich adeptly tailors tough concepts (e.g., the Great Depression; blacklisting) for young readers. Gustavson's dignified art makes young Pete look like Everykid, underscoring the book's message: you're never too young to make music--or a difference. Bib.
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Raúl Colón.
This picture book biography outlines folk legend Seeger's singing career, his participation in protests, his environmental work, and his "trouble" with the House Un-American Activities Committee, all with a focus on helping readers understand his essential spirit. Warm illustrations show Pete looking open and engaged, and lovingly depict the American landscape. An inspiring and heartfelt tribute to a "true American hero." Reading list, timeline. Bib.
104 pp.
| Clarion
| August, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-33012-9$17.99
(2)
4-6
Using abundant primary source material and terrific access to her subject (who died in 2014), Silvey tells Pete Seeger's sometimes complicated life story with clarity and gusto. Silvey covers Seeger's privileged, eccentric upbringing; his path to folk singing; and his targeting during the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Black-and-white photos throughout capture Seeger's charisma and the joy he took in music. Bib., ind.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
32 pp.
| Clarion
| March, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-12988-7$16.99
(2)
K-3
Everything in his Appalachian upbringing was music to Arthel Watson's ears. Eventually his pappy got him a harmonica, made him a banjo, then--finally--bought him a guitar. Arthel grew up to become bluegrass legend "Doc" Watson. The light color palette is broken by an entirely black spread: "Maybe it was because [Arthel] was blind." A text in a storyteller's cadence accompanies the folk-inspired art. Bib.
Reviewer: Sam Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2015
40 pp.
| Holt/Ottaviano
| October, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-9473-2$17.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Adam Gustavson.
Best known for his work with The Band and Bob Dylan, songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson's impressive rise from humble Canadian origins to critical success and worldwide acclaim is admiringly recounted here by his son. The straightforward narrative is unremarkable, but the capable oil paintings and a concluding father-son interview enhance the presentation. Timeline.
40 pp.
| Little
| May, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-316-11299-4$17.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Marc Burckhardt.
This full-hearted book celebrates Dylan's pursuit of, and eventual life-changing meeting with, his ailing idol, populist folkie Woody Guthrie. It's a lovely commemoration of a legendary encounter, with much dutiful ramp-up about Dylan's younger days. Each of Burckhardt's crackle-surfaced paintings, whether a vignette or a double-page spread, is beautifully composed to thoughtfully and effectively highlight the events. Bib.
112 pp.
| ABDO
| September, 2011
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-61783-090-7$23.95
(3)
YA
Essential Critiques series.
From a clear definition of critical theory and its purpose to practical applications, this title presents a well-written introduction to the analysis of music and lyrics. The biographical sketch, followed by a comprehensive comparison and analysis of Dylan's protest and personal songs, provides a worthy model for thinking critically and developing and defending a thesis. A "You Critique It" assignment provides additional guidance. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| May, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-3753-8$16.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Barry Root.
As Sullivan explains in an excellent note, musician Jake Krack was only nine when he traveled to hear noted fiddler Melvin Wine, then eighty-six. Inspired by that friendship, Sullivan depicts just such an old man and gifted boy. The story is told in the lyrical, laconic lilt of its Appalachian setting, also captured in gentle golden-tinged gouache and watercolor paintings. Websites. Bib.
40 pp.
| Scholastic
| December, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-439-92818-2$17.99
(3)
K-3
Poem by Samantha Thornhill. Lyrical text follows the life of the African American singer, beginning with her humble Alabama childhood then describing her path toward becoming a folk music legend. Alcorn's beautifully swirling, vaguely psychedelic paintings in subdued hues are dynamic. An appended "Ode to Odetta" author's note tells more about the singer's lasting legacy. Recommended recordings are also included.
40 pp.
| Putnam
| January, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-23996-0$16.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
S. D. Schindler.
Hopkinson's fictionalized biography of the musical folklorist is pitch perfect for younger readers. The story begins with Lomax's early love of work songs and chronicles the fine-tuning of that interest into a respected profession. Illustrations humorously depict this mild-mannered professor traveling through the Texas plains, searching for examples of America's musical heritage. An author's note discusses Lomax's contributions and processes. Bib.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2009
32 pp.
| Simon
| September, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-689-85235-5$$17.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Wendy Anderson Halperin
&
Wendy Anderson Halperin.
Seeger's Ecclesiastes-inspired folk song has been illustrated with delicate watercolor and pencil art depicting nature, feelings, folk causes, and Seeger himself with his banjo. Subdivided circles that must be "rotated" to view the tiny scenes within, illuminate lyrics such as "a time to be born, a time to die." Printed music and a CD featuring Seeger and the Byrds are included.
112 pp.
| Enslow
| October, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-2108-4$$20.95
(4)
YA
People to Know series.
These books are all highly competent profiles of key figures in the American literary landscape--yes, that includes Dylan, whose lyrics, one can conclude from Schuman's book, are worth studying. These books are distinguished by their accessibility and straightforwardness, and are accompanied by lackluster black-and-white photos. Reading list, timeline. Ind. [Review covers these People to Know titles: Dr. Seuss, Laura Ingalls Wilder, John Grisham, E. B. White, and Bob Dylan.]