16 November 2021
This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Owner/Operator of Only Picture Books) and Connecticut-based author/illustrator Abi Cushman.
–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–
Author Charles R. Smith Jr. makes a clever choice with this biography of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix’s life (1942–1970) by structuring the book as an album, with five verses (full of poems that mirror song lyrics), and both an interlude and outro. Pretty cool! And it’s quite a fitting choice for a book about the man that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called “arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.”
Like so many gifted creatives, Jimi came from a home life that wasn’t ideal. Witness the powerful black-and blue art in verse 1 which mirrors the language: “So Jimmy would hide, / hide in the closet, / scared and alone, / trying to keep quiet.” Yeah, his childhood gave him firsthand experience with living the blues.
Some readers will be surprised to learn that Jimi had “roots made strong / by the blood of Cherokee” or that he taught himself to draw as a way to deal with his sadness and pain. I can easily see and believe, though, that he played air guitar on a broom as he imagined his musical heroes, like Elvis, BB King, and John Lee Hooker, well before he turned sixteen and finally got his first real instrument–a white Supro Ozark electric guitar.
We even learn that while Jimi was born a lefty–we all recall him playing that way as an adult in the 60s–he faked playing righty as a kid because his dad said “the left hand was of the devil.” But along the way, Jimi learned to actually play both ways. That’s how gifted he was in taking the hurt and pain inside him and letting it flow out “like rain” to explode into the air.
Yet in ninth grade, Jimi got an F in music because “school wasn’t his thing.” Worse, the music teacher said he should give up any dream of playing music. He responded by learning a new song every single day, and creating a raw (“VRENNNNNNNN”) and wild (“RENN ROWNNN RREEEE”) sound because he wanted his own style.
Song for Jimi is a big book (56 pages vs. the normal 32), so it covers a lot of ground. We see Jimi through all of his schooling, then his brief time in the military, and his tumultuous times in big cities like Nashville, New York, and London before he became the iconic Jimi Hendrix we all know and admire.
I’m always interested in how picture book authors push language in fresh ways, and we see that here where the author tries to mimic the bizarre sounds Jimi urged from his guitar, such as in Verse 1 where we encounter: “WRRRRRIIIINNNNN.” Or how we get poetry-fun moments like “Tangerine SCREAMS / screeched through loud, / yellow sunBURSTS, / electrifying the crowd.” Lovely. And perfectly appropriate for a book comprised of poems.
I’m less enthusiastic at how readers repeatedly encounter the phrase “git-tar” throughout the book. Is it ever a good idea to have incorrectly spelled words when the intended audience is those who are learning to read, write, and spell themselves? I fully understand that the voice in these poems/verses is very conversational, as we see in these playful lines that depict a far less playful scene: “But Jimmy could hear, / oh yeah, that’s right, / he could hear Mama and Daddy / drink and fight.” Ultimately, some of the creative language choices might give readers pause.
The art by former TIME art director Edel Rodriguez is on-point throughout, however, with an appropriate psychedelic feel and mood that reminds me of rock band posters of the 60s and 70s. I’ll let Abi explain that all more clearly because that’s more her thing than mine. But I can sure admire it. Well done, Edel!
The outro section of this book offers a nice take on an iconic moment in Jimi’s life–the Monterey Pop Festival where Jimi delivered his “groovy git-tar voo-doo.” The author also provides a detailed Author’s Note, as well as an extensive timeline, a personal playlist, discography, and references.
Ultimately, this is a rhymey, fast-paced storybook that covers a ton of biographical ground and offers insight into the man who became a legend despite dying at 27. It might be a bit much in terms of sheer size for some readers, but it’s family friendly and more of a celebration of a life than a lament over a genius being lost far too soon (as we see so often with many geniuses). But as the author said, “Jimi, / no one / before you / could play the style / that you do.” And this visually appealing book has some of those same aspirations that make it different than other picture book biographies.
4.25 out of 5 pencils
–Abi’s Review of the Illustrations–
The cover for Song for Jimi immediately caught my eye. And how could it not? Featuring a portrait of Jimi Hendrix, made up of bright swaths of color and dynamic black linework, the cover is truly mesmerizing. Kids will get a sense of Jimi’s groundbreaking and otherworldly sound immediately through Edel Rodriguez’s artwork.
Rodriguez’s illustrations, created with woodblock prints and digital media, are reminiscent of the iconic psychedelic art of the late 1960s. This bold illustration style is surely a tip of the hat to psychedelic rock poster artists like David Byrd, as well as to Karl Ferris, the psychedelic photographer and designer who created many of Jimi’s album covers.
Psychedelic art often features bright, contrasting colors, distorted or surreal imagery, and kaleidoscopic patterns. We see examples of this throughout the book, starting with a very impactful image on the first spread, where bursts of colors and circles emanate out from Jimi’s guitar.
The use of flat, textured color and geometric shapes in the backgrounds of all the spreads succeed in eliciting various moods in the story, rather than depicting specific locations. This focuses the reader in on the emotion of Jimi’s music, personal triumphs, and heartbreaks.
One particularly emotional spread showcases the devastation Jimi feels when his mother leaves him. On the left side, we see Jimi as a boy crouching by himself, his face buried in his hands. The slope of Jimi’s back along with the diagonals in the background draw your eye from him to the image of his mother, who is shown with her back to us and suitcases in hand. Her figure is contrasted against a cream-colored rectangle. Though the background isn’t drawn out in detail,
the reader can make the connection that his mother is walking out the door. The stark, limited palette of blues and blacks in the image evokes a mood of loneliness and sadness.
Similarly, the colors used by Rodriguez help amplify the happy moments of Jimi’s life, as well. For example, when Jimi finally catches a break and captures the attention of a big music producer, Rodriguez uses bright bursts of pinks, blues, and yellows overlaid with circles and flowers to showcase his triumph.
Overall, I found the illustrations in Song for Jimi to be breathtaking and powerful–a perfect testament to the book’s legendary subject matter. I also really enjoyed how all parts of the book work together to resemble an album. Not only is the author’s verse structured like parts of a song, the art and layout of the text work in tandem to echo the design of a record album.
5 out of 5 crayons
Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of Animals Go Vroom! and Soaked!, which was a Kids’ Indie Next To Ten Pick. She has also worked as a web designer for over 15 years, and runs two popular websites of her own: MyHouseRabbit.com and AnimalFactGuide.com, which was named a Great Website for Kids by the American Library Association. In her spare time, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.) She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and two kids.
For exclusive sneak peeks, wombats, and special giveaways, subscribe to Abi’s newsletter.