Grandpa stops a war A Paul Robeson story

Susan Robeson, 1953-

Book - 2019

""Daddy always said it takes a man of peace to stop a war." Based on the true story of Paul Robeson's visit to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, comes this recollection of his bravery and activism by his granddaughter, Susan Robeson, with her debut book. When Susan was a child her father and grandfather told her family stories over and over. Grandpa Paul was a great man, a singer with a deep and rumbling voice, a man of peace and principle who worried about the safety of the children and families living in countries at war. His songs were always full of emotion, and evoking the African-American spirituals of his own father's childhood, he was able to communicate even with people who didn't speak the sam...e language. Though it was dangerous, Robeson went to Spain and traveled to the front lines of the war (in a Buick!). There, he asked the soldiers to set up speakers facing the fighters on both sides of the battlefield. And then he sang.... With gorgeous illustrations from the fine artist Rod Brown, When Grandpa Stops A War celebrates the activism and achievements of the great Paul Robeson, and shows readers the power of art in times of discord and war."--Provided by publisher.

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
New York ; Oakland : Seven Stories Press [2019]
Language
English
Main Author
Susan Robeson, 1953- (author)
Other Authors
Rod Brown, 1961- (illustrator)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
48 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm
Audience
Grades K-3.
Ages 5-9.
ISBN
9781609808822
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Renowned African American singer Paul Robeson and his family lived in London during the Spanish Civil War. Disturbed by reports of homeless families in that country, he gave concerts and sent money, food, and clothing to help Spanish children. Later, he traveled to Madrid. The city was bombed that night, but he led all who were huddled in his dark hotel to sing together. He visited the front, where he sang African American spirituals and songs of freedom with such feeling that soldiers on both sides were moved. "While Grandpa Paul sang, there was peace." Susan Robeson, the singer's granddaughter and a documentary filmmaker, retells a family story simply and effectively, and leaves it to listeners to reflect on implicit messages about war, peace, and the power of one gifted, brave, compassionate person to help others. In an appended author's note, she fills in historical details. Brown contributes a series of strong, well-composed paintings using deep, rich colors that capture the book's emotional undertones effectively.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-The author, who is the granddaughter of the titular figure, recounts the story her father used to tell her about how "Grandpa Paul" stopped a war with his singing. The author includes Paul Robeson's early beginnings as a singer and the inspiration and history behind the spirituals he loved to sing before seguing to the Spanish Civil War and ending with Robeson facing the front lines of battle. The narrative emphasizes the importance of individual action ("each of us must do our part to bring peace into the world"). Brown's bright, rich colors, painted with texture, bring readers on an emotional journey, from crowds of concert-goers to destroyed towns in Spain. The book also features additional information on the Spanish Civil War, Eslanda Robeson, and Republican Captain Fernando Castillo. While the overall story features a few snapshots of major events in Robeson's life, the back matter provides readers with a stronger connection to those happenings. VERDICT A great purchase for picture book biography collections.-Molly Dettmann, Norman North High School, OK © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Written by his granddaughter, this biography tells a little-known story of an African-American vocalist who used music to unify people abroad when segregation still ruled in the U.S.The son of a fugitive slave, Robeson came by his activism earnestly, and prior to his involvement in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, he held concerts to raise funds and gather donations for children and families impacted by the conflict. At the height of the war, Robeson insisted that Capt. Fernando Castillo, his guide, take him to the front lines, where he sang for both sides, temporarily stopping the fighting. Brown's deeply saturated, highly textured illustrations effectively capture the dangers Robeson encountered to try to bring peace to war-torn Spain and his confidence in his ability to make a difference where others considered his attempts at intervention foolhardy and unnecessarily risky. Readers might wonder how Robeson thought a black American could unite a country where he was both a minority and an outsider, but when they see the photograph of Robeson with his multiracial, international family and learn that he spoke and sang in over 15 different languages, it seems clear that Robeson lived multiculturalism; hence, traveling around the world spreading peace through music to bring people together came naturally to him.A story worth hearing about a cause worth fighting. (Informational picture book. 4-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.