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aylea's review against another edition
3.0
This review also published at The Children's Book and Media Review
This book tells the poetic story of Jelly Roll Morton in a creative way. When he was a baby, his godmother, a voodoo queen, put a spell on him and then got arrested with him when he was just a baby. Music is the only thing that can stop him from crying in jail, and later in life he learns to play the piano so well that he’s playing with the grown-ups in bars. He is thrown out of his house because his great-grandmother doesn’t want a lowlife musician in her home, but he goes back to the one thing that can make his crying stop: music. He invents jazz with a recipe for something sweet, spicy, smooth, bluesy, and something special. And even if he didn’t invent it, he spells it throughout all the towns.
This book is full of bright, colorful pictures with a lot of oranges, purples, and blues to capture the spirit of jazz and New Orleans. The book is written in a poetic form, talking to the reader as “you,” but telling the story of Jelly Roll Morton, although some of the facts are unclear. It presents the story as a possible folk tale origin story. The back of the book contains some facts about Morton and whether he truly invented jazz or not. Although the plot can be confusing because of its half folk-tale, half-historical nature, the illustrations’ ability to capture the spirit of jazz will please fans of that style of music.
This book tells the poetic story of Jelly Roll Morton in a creative way. When he was a baby, his godmother, a voodoo queen, put a spell on him and then got arrested with him when he was just a baby. Music is the only thing that can stop him from crying in jail, and later in life he learns to play the piano so well that he’s playing with the grown-ups in bars. He is thrown out of his house because his great-grandmother doesn’t want a lowlife musician in her home, but he goes back to the one thing that can make his crying stop: music. He invents jazz with a recipe for something sweet, spicy, smooth, bluesy, and something special. And even if he didn’t invent it, he spells it throughout all the towns.
This book is full of bright, colorful pictures with a lot of oranges, purples, and blues to capture the spirit of jazz and New Orleans. The book is written in a poetic form, talking to the reader as “you,” but telling the story of Jelly Roll Morton, although some of the facts are unclear. It presents the story as a possible folk tale origin story. The back of the book contains some facts about Morton and whether he truly invented jazz or not. Although the plot can be confusing because of its half folk-tale, half-historical nature, the illustrations’ ability to capture the spirit of jazz will please fans of that style of music.
2kimi2furious's review against another edition
4.0
Gave it a four for the pictures. The text wasn't very informative, but it was fun to read. There was a section in the back that had actual biographical information that was pretty useful.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous, vibrant, colorful acrylic illustrations with musical notes flowing throughout them, in deep oranges, purples and blacks. Beautifully written, in a jazzy style, incorporating song lyrics and adding to them. It reads like a folk tale: "Let's say you had a godmother...and she was a voodoo queen," describing Morton's childhood, playing piano at an early age in bars, getting arrested with that godmother; his great-grandmother threw him out of the house later because he was making money as a "lowlife musician," but through that he supposedly created a combination of blues that became jazz. Then he traveled and spread jazz to other cities. In the author's note, Winter clarifies how Morton was full of claims that he invented jazz and other things that may or may not have been true. Only lists two sources, adult biographies of Morton.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
4.0
I love the voice of this biography, like an old friend telling you a tale in a cozy living room or bar. Beautiful illustrations, too.
cweichel's review against another edition
4.0
Whether or not Jelly Roll Morton actually invented jazz, is not as important as acknowledging that he was definitely integral to its development. This picture book paints, in words and images, significant events in his life. Music was the thing that eased his tears.
It reads like a myth which is completely simpatico for someone of his influence and fame.
It reads like a myth which is completely simpatico for someone of his influence and fame.
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