Review by Booklist Review
Peoples remarks in her afterword that we can be divided into "lookers" who see and "non-lookers" who do not and that most children fall into the first category. Here she spins a family story into a sensitive child's account of meeting Mister Blue, a street musician who "lives outside," making a "too-good-not-to-move groove" on upended buckets that invites everyone to sometimes dance, sometimes march. Her grandfather, it turns out, has known him a long time, through "some weary days / and some looking-up days / and some just-gotta-keep-pushing days." Questions she is moved to ask--"Is he safe?" "Is he lonely?" "Is he hungry?"--lead her at last to pull her grandfather out into a rainy night, find Mister Blue lying on a bench, and invite him inside. In painterly illustrations accompanying the spare narrative, bright cherry blossoms over farmers' market booths form a backdrop to scenes of dark-skinned figures flourishing "Say Their Names" and "Now Is the Time" posters or boogeying down together, leading to a final indoor jam. A sweet tribute to all who have eyes, and hearts.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A child spends the day with their beloved Papa, sharing his "creamy, sweet coffee" during breakfast, playing violins with him outdoors, and meeting Papa's friend, Mister Blue, a talented musician who is unhoused. Papa says that he and Mister Blue "go back. All the way back," and scenes portray memories of the characters serving together in the military. Mister Blue plays all manner of instruments, including bucket drums and a harmonica, and his music has shepherded their neighborhood through moments of celebration, tragedy, and protest: it "makes all the people in the street... RISE! MARCH! AND... BOOGIE!" Though Papa offers reassurance, the child protagonist has questions about whether Mister Blue is safe outside, or scared, lonely, cold, or hungry. These queries culminate in the two inviting Mister Blue inside and out of the rain, and Mister Blue becoming the child's friend, too. In oil and graphite, Peoples (America, My Love, America, My Heart) creates an array of thickly textured spreads, employing saturated earth tones for the present and grayscale scenes for the past, and artfully emphasizing the importance of uniting a community of ages and experiences. Back matter includes an author's note. Protagonists read as Black. Ages 4--8. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (May)
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Review by Horn Book Review
A young Black girl cherishes her time with her papa. They have their routine; and "after breakfast, [they] make music." One day, they are joined by Mister Blue. Papa explains that he and Mister Blue go "all the way back," through some "just-gotta-keep-pushing days," and music has always been his friend's outlet. Inspiring people to "RISE! MARCH! AND...BOOGIE!" with his makeshift drum set, Mister Blue is what Papa refers to as a "get-up-and-go kind of brother." But the girl still has questions. She notices that Mister Blue lives outside, and as the weather turns rainy, she asks, "Is he safe? Is he cold? Is he lonely?" Her compassion for Papa's friend leads to an act of kindness -- and a new friendship of her own. The text is spare; Peoples's (America My Love, America My Heart, rev. 5/21) bright and lively oil-paint and graphite illustrations adding greatly to the overall story, with small, contained frames occasionally giving way to double-page spreads. When Papa tells the girl that he and Mister Blue go way back, for example, the colors fade to a gray-toned war scene. The memories also include a few of the "weary days" Papa and Mister Blue experienced. The last image is a brilliant spread of the ultimate jam session, with all the joy that music and friendship can bring. An author's note explains Peoples's experience with her own Mister Blue and offers a reminder to adults to let children ask "hard questions." (c) Copyright 2024. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A story to help us see those whom we often don't. When a Black girl visits her papa, they walk to a restaurant, enjoy eating breakfast together, then stroll outside and play their violins under blossoming trees. The pair spend lots of time outdoors, and so does Mr. Blue, who "lives outside," sometimes drumming on upside-down orange buckets, sometimes playing a harmonica, but always spreading audible art throughout the neighborhood. While walking home, the little girl pelts Papa with questions about Mr. Blue: "Is he safe?" Scared? Lonely? Cold? Wet? Hungry? Papa and Mr. Blue go "all the way back"--they shared good times and bad and served in a war together, but the child's questions shift Papa's thinking about his unhoused friend. In a driving rainstorm, the girl insists on finding Mr. Blue to invite him inside. Joy abounds in the jam session that unfolds. Peoples' profoundly moving and highly textured oil paintings encourage readers to slow down and absorb the details: hairstyles, facial expressions, the changing moods of the scenes. The full-color pages of the contemporary story contrast sharply with the historical black-and-white flashbacks to when Papa and Mr. Blue were younger, but through it all, it's clear that music has brought light into Mr. Blue's difficult existence. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A visually stunning narrative that poses hard questions with no easy answers and highlights hope despite hardship. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
