Product Description

From Bill Haley and His Comets to James Brown and his Famous Flames, this fun and fact-filled introduction to the pioneers of rock they influenced a generation of teenagers and inspired many of today's most important musicians.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #357079 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-27
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .13" h x 8.76" w x 10.74" l, .41 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this sanitized compendium of 1950s rock stars, debut children's book writer George-Warren and Levine (Wig!) set themselves the task of translating music and personality to the page. Each spread features a capsule biography of a musician next to his or her portrait, painted on Masonite in an American primitive style and set in a found-object frame. Bill Haley comes first, along with his trademark "one, two, three o'clock, four o'clock ROCK" and a night sky full of "comets"; unfortunately, the writing is straight out of squaresville ("Although Bill Haley was a grownup, he sang about things teens liked and he spoke their language"). Little Richard appears against a glaring yellow background, and the text, which ripples out like sound waves from his portrait, trumpets his signature shriek: "A wop bop a loo bop a wop bam boom, tutti frutti, oh rooti!" Yet these immortal lyrics aren't as punchy in print, despite George-Warren's encouraging remark, "Wow, what a song!" Only a recap of Bo Diddley's signature beat ("Thump-a-thump-a-thump, a-thump-thump") suggests rock's catchy rhythms. The accounts politely bypass legend-making stories of Elvis's pelvis and Jerry Lee Lewis's scandalous marriage and only hint at rock's notorious racism and sexism; the volume cheers pivotal African-American artists like Chuck Berry and James Brown, but lets R&B singer LaVern Baker and rockabilly star Wanda Jackson represent all women rockers. Although oldies fans can appreciate Levine's homemade images, the set of icons resembles a quaint (and quiet) butterfly collection. This tame encyclopedia doesn't have much soul, and the uninitiated may wonder what all the fuss was about. Ages 8-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-Fourteen of the originators of rock & roll are featured in this energetic, lighthearted introduction to the 1950s "musical earthquake-that shook everything up." Each double-page spread features a one-page biography facing a full-page portrait of a musician surrounded by whimsical items connected with the artist's best-known hits. Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Wanda Jackson, Ritchie Valens, and James Brown are among the performers profiled. Information includes the musicians' childhood musical backgrounds, how their careers began, short descriptions of their greatest hits and of any unique clothing or hairstyles for which they were famous, and a little about their accomplishments beyond the 1950s. An excellent introduction describes the roots of rock & roll. Old picture frames, some gilded and some simple weathered wood, are used to frame each mixed-media, folk-art-flavored painting. LaVern Baker's "Tweedlee Dee" is recalled by birds hopping across the page, while Jerry Lee Lewis is shown playing a piano from which flames, fiery musical notes, and one great ball of fire emerge. A wonderfully entertaining browsing book that will also fill a gap in most music collections.-Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. All hail rock and roll in a book that's fun to look at and informative but may not easily find an audience. It starts with the art. Laura Levine's acrylic and mixed-media folk-art portraits are catchy and kitschy, but their naive sensibility may be lost on middle-graders, who may look at the oversize layout and think the book is for little kids. The jaunty text helps, though it has the same problem as some of the recent picture books about jazz greats: readers don't know the musician or the music. George-Warren, a rock journalist, does a good job of packing a lot of information into the introduction (especially as she tries to explain the various musical streams that merged into rock.) and into the one-page biographies of each musician. The inclusion of two women, LaVern Baker and Wanda Jackson, seems a sop, especially because their reputations don't compare to those of the real movers and shakers profiled, including Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and of course, Elvis. Ilene Cooper
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