| Juvenile Literature |
| Juvenile Fiction |
Summary
Summary
Do you want to be in a band? Well, here's how! First, bug your two older sisters to start a band, and then beg them to join. (It helps if they already know how to sing and play guitar.) Then there are some tricky parts, like getting over STAGEFRIGHT and practicing until the tips of your fingers ache and playing gigs at not-so-big-time music clubs. At least, that's the way our little sister narrator explains it in her "guide" on how to start a band, based on the real-life experiences of author Suzzy Roche.
Author Notes
SUZZY ROCHE started performing with her two older sisters, Maggie and Terre, at a young age, and together they formed The Roches. The folk-indie rock band was active for more than 30 years, and the sisters recorded more than 11 albums together, including the children's album Will You Be My Friend, a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner.nbsp;
GISELLE POTTER has illustrated numerous books for children, including Cecil the Pet Glacier by Matthea Harvey. A Parents' Choice Gold Award winner.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Appealing to the listener's inner musician, the author (youngest sister of the indie folk-rock trio, the Roches) begins with a question: "Are you one of those kids who likes to make noise?" She then prescribes a plan to form a successful band, even if "you only know how to play air guitar." Skeptics may not make it beyond their disbelief, but Roche continues with a rundown involving the pain of learning to play a stringed instrument (her choice), tips for dealing with discouragement, the necessity of practicing, and attending to reactions. Potter's signature naive style is the perfect accompaniment to the fictionalized narrative of these women-noted for their quirky lyrics and humorous performances. The artist uses bright watercolors and bold patterns to highlight the sisters and their family; the backgrounds are more subdued, and the audiences, monochromatic. While the pajama-clad child prancing around the kitchen, banging a pot and wearing a colander on her head, suggests a younger demographic, this is not the right companion for Leslie Patricelli's Be Quiet, Mike! (Candlewick, 2011). Many years and page turns go by before a band is named, formed, discovered, recorded, and touring. Readers need patience and an interest in the process and the motivations of the aging performers. While the second-person voice is occasionally awkward as it mixes Roche's life with children's imagined experiences, it does draw readers in. Recommended for music fans in intimate, intergenerational settings.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With the characteristic wit known to her fans, Roche, of the folk-rock band the Roches, disguises first-person memoir as second-person advice about making music. "First you'll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing," she begins. As gifted a writer as she is a performer, Roche employs a tone that stretches from encouraging ("If you start to feel hopeless, take a deep breath, close your eyes and say 'I can do it' three times") to goofy ("If you can't agree about which notes to sing... it will make your music sound strange, maybe like a churning garbage truck") and honest (about not being the "Next Big Thing" anymore: "Don't be surprised if it makes you and your sisters feel sort of crummy and sad"). At the book's heart is a well of feeling, and Potter's watercolor-and-ink spreads-with their self-conscious, folk-naif figures and whimsical asides (musical notes flying from a guitar, a whale surfacing from the ocean over which the band travels on tour)-look like the Roches' music visualized. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Doesn't everyone want to be in a band? Suzzy Roche, one of the trio of sisters constituting the Roches, explains to young readers how to go about making a musical dream come true. Speaking directly to her audience ("Are you one of those kids who likes to make noise?"), she keeps readers' attention with her folksy, friendly voice and story. The narrative describes her own story ("First, you'll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing"), but the specifics are what make this how-to book so readable: once those sisters agree to start a band, "beg them to let you be in it too, even though you only know how to play air guitar." Potter's illustrations suit the quirky, homey feel of the text and authentically re-create time periods (starting in the 1960s) without making the events seem old-fashioned or dated. Encouraging (about not giving up even when your instrument is hard to learn), honest (about stage fright), and realistic (about disagreements among band members), Roche's story will entertain a wide audience -- not just those looking to start a band. jennifer m. brabander (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
While many children may answer the titular question in the affirmative, it seems likely that only (some) adults will appreciate the behind-the-scenes glimpse of one group's genesis offered by quirky songstress Roche. Although she begins by suggesting that, in general, kids who like to make noise may be budding musicians, Roche's perspective quickly becomes specific. If you want to be in a band, "you'll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing." She's also a wee bit behind the times: The band she suggests emulating is the Beatles (though showing the dog in a shaggy wig as Ringo is worth a giggle--at least to grownups, who'll know who he is). Roche does provide, and reiterate, some pragmatic advice: Aspiring musicians will need to practice, practice, practice. But it's buried in an arch, overlong text with minimal child appeal. Potter's distinctive watercolor-and-ink illustrations feature flat-faced characters and straightforward compositions, effectively conveying the action and creating a retro vibe. This suits Roche's somewhat nostalgic view of growing up and getting famous perfectly, but unfortunately, it does little to inject energy or interest. Fans of the Roches will appreciate in-jokes, like the mention of strawberry-apricot pie, but ultimately, this chronicle of perfecting skills and performing for ever larger audiences is too narrowly focused to provide encouragement, entertainment or inspiration. (Picture book. 6-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Instead of taking the typical here's-how-it's-done route, this inventive picture book uses the concept of forming a band to convey a surprisingly wide-reaching story of sisterly love. The narrator offers amusingly specific instructions to the reader (represented in the story by a ponytailed little girl): First, you'll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing. Got it? What's so genuine about this semiautobiographical tale (Roche was part of the indie-folk outfit The Roches for 30 years) are the realistic temporal jumps: Now you can let a couple years go by. The three sisters get older and graduate from living room shows to street corner performances to music clubs to international tours, all the while having fun and, of course, bickering. Oh, and try to be gentle with each other. After all, these are your dear sisters. Potter's folksy, weird-angled watercolors at first seem an odd fit for the let's-rock material, though as the sisters age, these illustrations become increasingly poignant. A totally unique angle on a timeless theme.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
