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Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J 921 REINHARDT | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Born into a travelling gypsy family, young Django Reinhardt taught himself guitar at an early age. He was soon acclaimed as the "Gypsy Genius" and "Prodigy Boy," but one day his world changed completely when a fire claimed the use of his fretting hand. Folks said Django would never play again, but with passion and perserverance he was soon setting the world's concert stages ablaze. Bonnie Christensen's gorgeous oil paintings and jazzy, syncopated text perfectly depict the man and his music.
Author Notes
Bonnie Christensen was born in Saranac Lake, New York in 1951. She received a bachelor's degree in theatre and communication from the University of Vermont. She worked backstage at Joseph Papp's Public Theater, the Actor's Studio, and other studios in New York City for 13 years. She also wrote several plays that were produced off-off Broadway.
She was an author, artist, and book illustrator. Her first book, An Edible Alphabet, was published in 1994. She wrote and illustrated a number of picture books including Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist, Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People, Fabulous: A Portrait of Andy Warhol, The Daring Nelly Bly: America's Star Reporter, A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road, and Elvis: The Story of the Rock and Roll King. She died of ovarian cancer on January 12, 2015 at the age of 63.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Richly expressive paint and ink illustrations portray the hard-earned successes of Django Reinhardt, whose childhood was spent traveling with his impoverished gypsy family, where music was a constant and illuminating presence: "Music... sighing/ weeping singing/ laughing breathing/ reeling spinning." Christensen's soft, rhythmic prose echoes her evocative images as Django explores the music scene of 1920s Paris, before suffering serious burns on his hands and leg when his wagon catches fire. Despite his injuries, Reinhardt teaches himself to play again, his career "just beginning/ Bright and brilliant stages waiting." A sensuous tribute to an illustrious musician. Ages 5-9. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The story of Django Reinhardt is a natural for younger audiences unlike so many other jazz musicians whose troubled lives and complex music have become the stuff of picture books. In spare, simple, rhythmic verses, Christensen tells the remarkable story of a young Gypsy boy, born in Belgium in 1910, who was surrounded by music as a child, learning violin from his father and later moving on to guitar. After his father abandoned him, young Django found his way to Paris, where he played on street corners, earning praise ( Gypsy Genius! ) and attracting attention. Soon he was headlining in clubs, but all seemed lost when he was burned in a fire, damaging his left hand so severely that playing the guitar seemed out of the question. But Django developed a way to work around his disability, and his self-made technique for playing chords proved perfect for the syncopated jazz style. Christensen supports the inspirational story with rich, vibrant paintings that capture the texture and tone of the landscapes in Django's life: burnt oranges and various shades of brown bring the Gypsy campfires to vivid life, while bright blues shimmering under the sharp yellows of stage footlights depict the electricity of the guitarist in performance. The art steals the show here, but the text works fine, too, describing the essence of Django's story without overwhelming middle-graders with too much detail.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2009 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Bonnie Christensen's heartwarming true story (Flash Point, 2009) about Django Reinhardt, a Gypsy boy who became a famous jazz guitarist and overcame adversity, is written in lyrical prose. The inspiring story covers Django's birth in Belgium in 1910 and his family's nomadic lifestyle. Music, however, was a constant thread throughout his young life. After being abandoned by his father, Django moved to Paris where he played his banjo-guitar on street corners and in dance halls. In 1929, when he was nearly at the height of his career, tragedy struck and his left hand was badly burned. His prognosis was bleak and doctors thought that he would never be able to play the guitar again. But with unwavering fortitude and will, Django learned how to play using only the fingers on his left hand and made a triumphant return to the music world. Christensen's gorgeous impressionistic oil paintings and free verse text take students into the flamboyant world of gypsies in 1920 Paris. George Guidall's pleasing narration is accompanied by appropriate sound effects and beautiful jazz guitar music. An inspirational tale well told.-Caitlyn Walsh, Fayetteville Public Library, Fayetteville, AR (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The brilliant jazz guitarist's life from birth in a Roma camp to stardom on a floodlit Paris stage,is sketched in free verse and vibrant oils. Occasionally ranging into trochaic tetrameter (think "Hiawatha") and arguably over-reliant on gerunds for punch, the author reduces biographical details to an essence that sometimes jars. "Still a boy he's playing dance halls. / Fingers flying down the fretboard. / Writing waltzes, making records, / Putting money on the table." The narrative finds its dramatic core in the fire that rages through Django's wagon, badly burning his hands. His long recuperation is depicted against grays that gradually brighten as he heals and adapts to playing without the use of two fingers on his left hand. Christensen excels as a colorist: The blue-violet light of a jazz club is offset by ochre horns and a pianist's green-gold sheath dress. Faces throughout seem curiously devoid of emotional depth; roughly sketched features result in sad or wry or neutral miens that contribute an air of detachment that color alone fails to redeem. Meritorious but ultimately disappointing. (author's notes, bibliography, discography) (Picture book/biography. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
