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Summary
Summary
A stirring look at the early life of Johnny Cash, from his harsh but music-filled childhood to the first flush of stardom.
There's never been anyone like music legend Johnny Cash. His deep voice is instantly recognizable, and his heartfelt songs resonate with listeners of all ages and backgrounds. G. Neri captures Johnny's story in beautiful free verse, portraying an ordinary boy with an extraordinary talent who grew up in extreme poverty, faced incredible challenges, and ultimately found his calling by always being true to the gift of his voice. A. G. Ford's luscious paintings of the dramatic southern landscape of Johnny Cash's childhood illuminate this portrait of a legend, taking us from his humble beginnings to his enormous success on the world stage.
Author Notes
G. Neri is the author of Ghetto Cowboy, winner of a Horace Mann Upstanders Book Award. He also wrote Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, which received a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and Chess Rumble, awarded a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. G. Neri lives in Florida.
A. G. Ford has illustrated many picture books, including Goal! by Mina Javaherbin and Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A. G. Ford lives in Dallas, Texas.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The boy who became Johnny Cash was born so impoverished that his first name was just two initials, J. R., "that stood for/ nothing." But, in fact, Johnny Cash had two extraordinary possessions: a voice "as smooth and deep/ as the Mississippi itself" and a gift for writing songs that had a hypnotic, plainspoken intensity. In free-verse poetry and images that recall the emotional directness of WPA murals and photography, Neri (Ghetto Cowboy) and Ford (Under the Same Sun) follow Cash from the grinding poverty and tragedy of his early years to the invention of his signature "boom-chicka-boom sound" and his breakthrough hit, "I Walk the Line." The images consistently strike a haunting chord-especially a twilight scene on a country road in which Johnny hears his first song on the car radio ("John couldn't believe/ that was his voice/ going out over/ the airwaves"). Readers will best appreciate this biography after hearing some of Cash's music-and they won't want to stop after hearing his story. Ages 9-12. Author's agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Neri and Ford tell the life-story of the legendary country singer through a series of free-verse poems and expansive large-format oil paintings. In Cash's early days, he was called J. R., and his family "was close to ruin, / forced to flee / southern Arkansas / before the desperate winds / of the Great Depression / turned them all / to dust." Too young to work the cotton fields with his family, J. R. listened to the radio and felt the music calling him. A high-school trip to Nashville introduced him to a world he would soon make his own. Inspired by June Carter, Elvis Presley, and Sonny James, Cash wrote "I Walk the Line" in twenty minutes, and when it became a number-one hit across America, he was able to pursue his musical dreams. For a book about a singer, the free-verse poems don't particularly sing (feeling more like straightforward prose in the shape of poetry), and, though Ford's painting excels in evoking landscapes, his human portraits, with their Americana Primitive look, can appear somewhat stiff. Still, the appealing biography succeeds in telling an information-packed story of one of country music's greats: readers will feel they know the "Man in Black" well by book's end. A two-page "More About Johnny Cash" section and a discography further inform readers. dean schneider (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Though Johnny Cash might not be the most familiar name to the audience of this picture-book biography, Neri and Ford do an impressive job of painting a portrait of the Man in Black that emphasizes his hardscrabble beginnings and lifelong love of music. Avoiding the harsher parts of his life such as his bouts with drug addiction, which are mentioned in a closing author's note Neri focuses on Cash's inspiring innate talent and scrappy determination to make it in the music business. On each oversize, two-page spread, Neri's straightforward free-verse lines describe a pivotal moment in Cash's life that contributed to his love of music. Working in perfect concert with the words are Ford's full-bleed, soulful oil paintings, which lovingly capture emotion serenity in Cash's beatific face when he sings along with the radio; rapture when he hears June Carter sing for the first time. In a smart cross-platform move, each spread is titled with the name of a Cash recording that matches the mood of the moment, adding a meaningful musical complement to the already moving story. Parents eager to share Cash's signature boom-chicka-boom rhythms with their kiddos will appreciate this eloquent introduction to the iconic musician.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Gr 3-5-Even those who aren't fans of musician Johnny Cash will appreciate the beauty of this biographical picture book. Written in free verse, with colorful, realistic illustrations done in oil, this title poignantly portrays the powerful influences of poverty, religion, family, and music on Cash's life. When Cash was too young to work in the cotton fields, his father bought him a radio to keep him company. The boy could never turn it off, learning hundreds of songs that he sang to anyone who stopped by to listen. It became clear he had a gift that was meant to be shared with the world, but hard work to earn money for the family and a stint in the Air Force delayed that dream. This is a biography of one musician as well as a tale of how the determination to pursue a dream can pay off. The oversize format suggests Cash's larger-than-life impact and image, but it also pulls readers in. Additional information is provided at the back, including more in-depth details about his life, a discography, and the ways in which the sociopolitical eras he lived through, such as the Great Depression and the birth of rock 'n' roll, impacted his music. This is a real tribute to the Man in Black, written in an easily accessible, engaging manner that demonstrates the qualities he possessed that make him a hero to so many.- Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Before he was Johnny Cash, he was J.R., a country boy who lived a hard, farming life and loved music. This illustrated biography of the "Man in Black" uses poetry to chronicle pivotal moments in his life, from boyhood to stardom. Each poem borrows its title from one of Cash's songs. Most document J.R.'s early life and the role of music in it: memorizing songs from the radio to entertain the neighbors, keeping his family's spirits high as they pick cotton under the hot sun, and immersion in the gospel standards at church. Music helps J.R. get through the tough times, such as the death of his older brother, and allows him to dream of a life beyond the farm. The final poems summarize J.R.'s entre into the music industry and his transformation into Johnny Cash. The narrative is well-researched, age-appropriate and beautifully expressive. The exquisite oil illustrations capture the setting and the emotion of each poem, allowing readers to feel as if they are there with J.R. as he works the harsh Arkansas fields or in the audience as Johnny whips the crowd into a frenzy plucking out his tunes on the guitar. An exceptional portrait of one of the most recognizable musicians of all time. (author's note, timeline, discography, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.