FICTION

Double Bass Blues

by Andrea J Loney (text) & illus. by Rudy Gutierrez
Knopf. Oct. 2019. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781524718527.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1-3–In an explosion of vibrant color (thanks to Rudy Gutierrez’s liquid acrylics), young Nic wins kudos for his double bass solo with the school orchestra, but faces a tough journey home. Lugging his beloved (but bulky) bull fiddle, the boy is harassed and taunted on his long trip, and is finally faced with an out-of-service elevator and multiple flights of stairs. Happily, he finds not only his loving grandfather waiting for him, but some of granddaddy’s jazz-playing buddies sitting with their instruments at the ready, sorely in need of that boy and his bull fiddle. Colorful, full of movement, limited in text but loaded with emotion, this is an ode to the diversity of music and the determination of a talented kid.
VERDICT A dramatic and emotional selection for older readers than the usual picture book audience, particularly kids who love music and have had their own tough journeys home.
Reviewed by Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY , Oct 01, 2019

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