Stand up and sing! Pete Seeger, folk music, and the path to justice

Through multiple wars, social movements, and activist causes, folk singer Pete Seeger never faltered in his search to find justice through music. From childhood, his integrity and sympathy for the underprivileged was matched only by his love of music. Under the guidance of the likes of Woody Guthrie, Seeger honed his craft and kept his eyes open to the world around him, playing in several bands and writing songs all while championing the working class and the civil rights movement, protesting the Vietnam War, and eventually leading a crusade to help clean up the Hudson River. Gustavson's multimedia illustrations place full-page paintings of Seeger during landmark moments alongside line drawings of other things: a platoon of soldiers pushing through the muddy waters of Vietnam, a Polaroid from Seeger's wedding, a banjo sitting beside a couch. Though some of the more difficult aspects of Seeger's life are glossed over, the We Shall Overcome singer's legacy spans decades, and this will surely help a new generation understand his fervor and still-relevant message.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist

Reich and Gustavson, who previously collaborated on Fab Four Friends, deliver a rich portrait of musician and activist Pete Seeger, focusing on how his deeply held convictions galvanized his music. Gustavson's mixed-media illustrations highlight Seeger's modest upbringing and down-to-earth persona, pairing lushly illustrated scenes of him traveling and performing with rough, loose sketches of unemployed men lined up for free food during the Great Depression, a couch where Seeger rested while on tour, and soldiers wading through a river in Vietnam (Seeger was outraged when one of his protest songs, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," was cut from a television appearance). It's an intimate look at a pivotal American figure who saw himself, as Reich notes, as a link in "a chain in which music and social responsibility are intertwined." Ages 6-9. Author's agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Illustrator's agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 1-3-In a lifetime of music making, folksinger Pete Seeger (1919-2014) brought people together to sing for social justice. Reich's enthusiastic picture book biography opens with a glimpse of the singer inviting an audience to join in, as he did so often, perhaps most memorably at Barack Obama's first inauguration, in 2009. The author, a longtime admirer, then goes back to recap Seeger's childhood and then compresses a 70-year career into key highlights. Aimed at a younger audience than that of Anita Silvey's Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger, this volume does use a relatively wordy text to include the most important events. But understanding Seeger's life and work may require more background in political and social history than the young audience will bring to the story. The summary sometimes feels oversimplified, as when the House Un-American Activities Committee is referred to as "some congressmen." The effort to cover the particulars sometimes obscures Seeger's guiding principles, his strong commitment to social justice, and his sheer joy in bringing people together through singing. Gustavson's realistic art supports the admiring tone. On most spreads, the text and a relevant drawing stand opposite a painting; occasionally the art bleeds over, into, and behind the words. A foreword by fellow folksinger Peter Yarrow helps put Seeger's career into context. VERDICT Seeger's centennial is coming up soon. There will undoubtedly be more written about this principled man, but this selection is a solid introduction.-Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.