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The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue by Suzanne Slade, Stacy Innerst
alboyer6's review against another edition
4.0
After reading this book I had Rhapsody in Blue running in my head even before I re-listened to it.
beths0103's review against another edition
5.0
"George's Rhapsody in Blue was smooth and sultry.
Brash and bouncy...
No one had ever heard anything like it.
Except George.
He'd been hearing beautiful music all his life."
As a youngster, beautiful is certainly not the word I would have ever used to describe George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. But just as my palate for different, more sophisticated foods has expanded as an adult, so too has my ear for music. Now instead of groaning every time I hear the introductory shrieking notes of the clarinet that signals this piece of music, now I just smile, sit back, and enjoy this 17 minute piece of Americana.
The moody blue palate of the illustrations are somehow both brooding and uplifting at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Brash and bouncy...
No one had ever heard anything like it.
Except George.
He'd been hearing beautiful music all his life."
As a youngster, beautiful is certainly not the word I would have ever used to describe George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. But just as my palate for different, more sophisticated foods has expanded as an adult, so too has my ear for music. Now instead of groaning every time I hear the introductory shrieking notes of the clarinet that signals this piece of music, now I just smile, sit back, and enjoy this 17 minute piece of Americana.
The moody blue palate of the illustrations are somehow both brooding and uplifting at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
jillyd's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love this book. I am a huge George Gershwin fan, so it seemed natural for me to pick it up and absorb it immediately upon seeing it. The illustrations are marvelous and fit perfectly with the story of how George came to write his masterpiece, "Rhapsody in Blue". I hope children will pick this one up - not many know who he is anymore. Maybe the adults in their lives will see this, get it for them, and introduce them to this amazing composer, as well as to his music.
canuckmum's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Informational text which feels fresh and fun. Love the illustrations.
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
I found this to be perfectly fine.
I found this to be perfectly fine.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful blue-toned acrylic paintings illustrate this picture book story of George Gershwin as a child, showing how he loved music, hearing it everywhere in the city noises around him, and how he grew up to become a "song plugger" playing Tin Pan Alley songs before composing his own music. The text gives a nice description of the music he composes, envisioning the combination of jazz and blues, and the visual design imparts this by using hand-lettered phrases flowing through the pages like music notes. Author's note with more details of the composer's life, a timeline, and sources for his quotations.
scostner's review against another edition
4.0
I love all the wonderful picture book biographies that are being created now, and I really wish they had been around when I was a child. (Does anyone else remember reading those Childhood of Famous Americans books?) Suzanne Slade's new book on George Gershwin is captivating in its presentation of how Gershwin grew up to become one of America's most famous songwriters. And Stacy Innerst's illustrations take the coloring from George's "Rhapsody in Blue" and use it as a signature palette throughout the book.
Key events from George's life are shared with the reader, things like his fascination with "Melody in F" after he heard it at a nearby penny arcade, or the way he taught himself to play the piano by copying the movement of the keys on a player piano at a friend's house. Many of the illustrations show Gershwin either playing an instrument, or thinking up a song with musical notes dancing around him. I especially like the double-page spread that shows the influences he included in his "Rhapsody in Blue." Slade describes the concerto as a "musical kaleidoscope of America's melting pot." Innerst has pictured New York in the background, along with a jack hammer, a train, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, a clarinet player in Orthodox Jewish clothing, and a couple dancing. Tying the figures together is a stream of musical notes coming from George's piano keys and sheet music blowing from his piano and then twisting and floating through the other scenes. It truly captures the feel of how everything he experienced became an influence on his work.
The word choices also carry a lot of the weight in conveying the story clearly. When the text states that "A clarinet fluttered softly, like butterfly wings on a morning breeze," or that the song was "daring, and razzmatazz dazzling" readers can imagine how those first audiences reacted to his music. Young readers will enjoy the way that the story comes full circle. It begins with "George heard music all the time" and ends with "He'd been hearing beautiful music all his life." The Author's Note, Illustrator's Note, timeline, and bibliography all give added details to support the story.
Highly recommended for school libraries (particularly elementary) and for music teachers who enjoy sharing biographies of famous composers and performers with their classes.
I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.
Key events from George's life are shared with the reader, things like his fascination with "Melody in F" after he heard it at a nearby penny arcade, or the way he taught himself to play the piano by copying the movement of the keys on a player piano at a friend's house. Many of the illustrations show Gershwin either playing an instrument, or thinking up a song with musical notes dancing around him. I especially like the double-page spread that shows the influences he included in his "Rhapsody in Blue." Slade describes the concerto as a "musical kaleidoscope of America's melting pot." Innerst has pictured New York in the background, along with a jack hammer, a train, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, a clarinet player in Orthodox Jewish clothing, and a couple dancing. Tying the figures together is a stream of musical notes coming from George's piano keys and sheet music blowing from his piano and then twisting and floating through the other scenes. It truly captures the feel of how everything he experienced became an influence on his work.
The word choices also carry a lot of the weight in conveying the story clearly. When the text states that "A clarinet fluttered softly, like butterfly wings on a morning breeze," or that the song was "daring, and razzmatazz dazzling" readers can imagine how those first audiences reacted to his music. Young readers will enjoy the way that the story comes full circle. It begins with "George heard music all the time" and ends with "He'd been hearing beautiful music all his life." The Author's Note, Illustrator's Note, timeline, and bibliography all give added details to support the story.
Highly recommended for school libraries (particularly elementary) and for music teachers who enjoy sharing biographies of famous composers and performers with their classes.
I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes.
couillac's review against another edition
4.0
Striking, fluid acrylic paintings in shades of blue and black elevate this brief account of George Gershwin's life and the composition of his hit, Rhapsody in Blue. Innerst's illustrations are the star here, full of movement and punctuated by hand-lettered musical onomatopoeia, perfectly capturing the feeling of jazz and blues. Slade's text is rhythmic and succinct, focusing on young Gershwin's musical development and the every day inspiration for his most popular pieces. An excellent intro to a notable composer with gorgeous visuals and rich vocabulary sure to have audiences clamoring to hear the music it describes.
cweichel's review against another edition
5.0
I can't gush about this too much. Stacy Innerst's illustrations with all those blues just WOW me. I'm compelled to return again and again to admire them. The typeface, text, and these illustrations are inseparable from the narrative. It all came together to enthral me in this picture biography of George Gershwin.
jayce's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great picture book biography. I'm not sure who would read it. That's the biggest problem with books like this. What kid is going to go to the biography section & pick one about George Gershwin? The rare child indeed.