Rock 'n' Roll Soul
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
New York Times bestselling author Susan Verde and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Matthew Cordell’s picture book Rock ‘n’ Roll Soul “encourages girls to let the music inside them come out. A rappa-tappin’ good read that will invite readers young and old alike to move, groove, and turn on their favorite tunes” (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review).
With the school talent show coming up, a young music lover spends most of her time daydreaming about the perfect act. She notices the sounds around her, like the brrrrring of the school bell or the rappa-tappa-tap of rain on the windowpane. But the talent show is the place to reveal her own voice. Will she mix up some hip-hop beats? Will she command an orchestra of dozens, bringing the classics to life? Or, will she go electric, Jimi Hendrix style?
Marching out on the talent show stage to the beat of her own drum, this sweet and sassy musician ultimately chooses to be herself and sing her own song loud and proud, “I’ve got a rock ‘n’ roll soul!”
“Cordell, the 2018 Caldecott Medalist, never misses a beat. Whether capturing his uninhibited heroine bopping down the street to the music in her headphones or crunching her cereal in rhythm, his pictures are knowing and funny, and they crackle with visual electricity.” —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Verde's (I Am Yoga) latest, as all the student musicians at school gear up for the talent show, an exuberant girl makes her plans as well. She doesn't play any instruments, but she's confident in her talents: "I can make the music flow./ I can jam and put on a show./ I've got a Rock 'n' Roll SOUL!" Actually, she's genre-agnostic, paying tribute in the rhymes that follow to hip-hop, jazz, soul, folk, and classical music ("My body simply rises and floats/ when I'm part of those classical notes"). When the big day arrives, the narrator declares herself a "one-girl band" and announces to the packed house, "My greatest instrument is ME." It's definitely affirming and egalitarian, and the heroine's appreciation for music is heartfelt but young musicians (and their parents) may feel slightly miffed: there's a lot more to musicianship than making a declaration. Fortunately, Cordell (Wolf in the Snow), the 2018 Caldecott Medalist, never misses a beat. Whether capturing his uninhibited heroine bopping down the street to the music in her headphones or crunching her cereal in rhythm, his pictures are knowing and funny, and they crackle with visual electricity. Ages 3 7.
