King of ragtime The story of Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin is widely recognized as the king of ragtime music, and this nuanced picture-book biography does justice to his considerable talent and irresistible compositions. The melodic, flowing text goes beyond Joplin's personal details to paint a picture of what life looked like for African Americans during the Jim Crow era at the turn of the twentieth century, after emancipation and the failure of Reconstruction. Examples are effortlessly woven into the narrative. Joplin's father, Giles, had been formerly enslaved and used to play fiddle up at the big house; when Scott left his home in Texarkana, he rode back in the very last railroad car, and when he got to the Chicago World's Fair, Black musicians weren't allowed to perform on the fairgrounds. There are also plenty of scenes highlighting the joys of singing and playing music, celebrating Juneteenth, and Joplin's compositions spreading across the country. These events come alive through gloriously vibrant, full-page gouache collages that pop off of pages and are filled with creative and expressive details. Back matter includes a bibliography and list of "Recommended Listening," featuring recordings of Joplin's music. In addition to multiple curriculum applications, this attractive offering makes a great read-aloud.

In this pitch-perfect picture book biography of Black ragtime composer Scott Joplin (c. 1867--1917), author-illustrator Costanza regales readers with Joplin's journey: born the son of a formerly enslaved man in Texas, Joplin served as a pianist in saloons and honky-tonks, eventually penning the "Maple Leaf Rag" and subsequently earning the title "the King of Ragtime Writers." Costanza establishes an atmospheric, folkloric tone in narration rich with onomatopoeia and figurative language: "He'd patch in a riff from a work song,/ a thread of gospel here, a string of ring shout there--/ sewing together new tunes/ to play for his mother the next day." Enchanting spreads rendered in gouache, wax pastel, and collage feature expansive patchwork fields and fanciful multicolored skies; fine-lined human figures are delightfully fluid and surrealistic, with Costanza showcasing a deep understanding of color theory. One particularly majestic spread features Joplin, eyes closed, superimposed over an intricate Ferris wheel against a dark sky. "The music went round and round in his head," the next page reads, depicting a rotation of musicians, instruments, and circus fare. A richly detailed profile fit for a king. Back matter includes an author's note with further historical contextualization, recommended listening, and a bibliography. Ages 4--8. (Aug.)

While his father tried to convince young Scott Joplin to work with him on the railroad that provided reliable work for African American men, Scott's heart answered another call--one that led him to become the "King of Ragtime." Scott Joplin was born into a musically talented family in which everyone knew how to play an instrument. However, it was his mother who first recognized her son's exceptional talent for playing music. She allowed him to tinker on the piano of the White family she worked for. Young Joplin would make up tunes for her to dance and sing to while she worked. To further support his talent, she later traded cleaning services with a different employer in exchange for piano lessons for her son. That early training and Joplin's dedication helped him land jobs as a piano player in honky-tonks throughout the Mississippi Valley. Later, Joplin made his way to Sedalia, Missouri, where he found work as a piano teacher, went to college to study music, and published his first song, "Maple Leaf Rag." Writing with a bit of a twang and punctuating the narrative with idioms and onomatopoeia, Costanza delivers a biography as bouncy and colorful as ragtime itself. In the opening spread, a pastoral, hardworking newly freed Black men and women are carving out a life for themselves in Texarkana. The busy scene, with punches of optimistic blue, is full of animation and joy, motifs that repeat throughout each gorgeous spread. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Outstanding. (author's note, discography, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.