(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Charly Palmer. In a reverent celebration of African American music, Alexander's lyrical free-verse text flows through different eras and genres of sound. This musical tour begins in Africa: "Listen to the fireside chorus / of the motherland / to the talking drums / dancing beneath the golden sun / that beat a bold tapestry / of yesterday's stories / and tomorrow's dreams." From there, the exploration honors the hymns and hopes of enslaved people, gospel music ("Listen to the Amazing Grace / of the Jubilee Singers / to the joyful noise / of Sunday morning gospel / and Let the Church Say /Amen. Amen. HALLELUJAH!"), the blues, jazz, soul, rock and roll, hip-hop, and rap. Palmer's vibrant double-page acrylic paintings burst with color and movement, making a rewarding connection to the music; the full-bleed images are rich with resonance and meaning. Extensive end notes provide helpful information about the musical history, artists and movements, and cultural connections alluded to in both the text and the illustrations. A stunning homage to "the soundtrack of America / a symphony / of refuge and redemption."

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this fantasy novel in verse, spare narration yields jewel-bright imagery of a frozen land where a magic metal -- Fermata -- is necessary for Humans to buy entrance into the Giants' jealously guarded, sheltered gardens. In Lyriana's experience, Songsummoners who sing Fermata into existence -- the protagonist's mother and, someday, Lyrie herself -- are exploited, Lyrie's mother even losing her life trying to make enough metal to save everyone from the cold. Lyrie hopes that rumors of a fabled Orphan's Garden are true -- that an enclave exists where the Winter Spirits don't rule. Meanwhile Brob, a boy Giant whose family had been banished by the Giant King, leads his family toward the secret garden he himself created when he was six. The author's nonlinear storytelling style meshes with the tale's alternating voices and varied poetic structures, creating multiple narratives with intertwined mysteries and payoffs, while poetry aficionados will note, among others, a sonnet, haiku, and sestina tucked in with the blank verse. Themes of trust, interdependence, and the power of music develop meaningfully over the course of this taut, beautifully rendered adventure in which Lyriana and Brob, if they can overcome their differences, have complementary roles to play in ending the tyranny of winter.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. In their third How to... book, Alexander and Sweet (How to Read a Book; How to Write a Poem,rev. 5/23) collaborate with singer-songwriter Preston to guide readers in tuning in to the world of sound around them. The lyrical text in bold hand-drawn block letters filled with color is prominent on each double-page spread. Beginning with the word hush, the authors invite us to begin by being quiet to "turn up your ears / and listen / to the / concert / happening / all around / you." We're encouraged to listen to the sounds of nature such as a "blue jay's / playful trill" and "trees swaying / and shushing." From there the poetic text focuses inward, first through breathing deeply, then through tapping feet and snapping fingers, ending with "sing / a song / loud / and strong." The pacing, vivid language, pleasing alliteration, inventive similes, periodic use of rhyme, and syncopated rhythm create a poem full of sound and music. Sweet's collage art incorporates musical imagery in waves, circles, swirls, and optical art patterns -- full of movement and energy to "make sound visible on the page," as she states in her end note. Preston contributes an end note as well. The overall impact resonates as a call for young people to find their voice and their power through music and beyond.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) K-3 "This is a story that will have a happy ending, so don't worry too much!" With that reassuring front-matter spoiler, Brantley-Newton launches into her tale about a little singing goat. Conflict is immediately introduced, as those around her despise the goat's voice and dislike her penchant for climbing. Seemingly oblivious to others' annoyance, she seeks adventure, only to fall into a deep, dry well. Making good use of the book's materiality, Brantley-Newton offers an illustration that must be rotated ninety degrees for proper viewing, showing the goat at the bottom of the well and only the neighbors' and animals' feet visible up top. They've assembled after hearing her piteous cries but quickly abandon trying to save her, deciding instead to "give her a decent burial." This alarming twist is softened by the established light and humorous tone of text and illustrations. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" reads the all-caps print in bold colors as shovelfuls of dirt rain down on a close-up image of the beleaguered, incredulous goat. She's also clever and resourceful as she shakes off the dirt and packs it down, singing to herself, "Shake it off. Pack it under!" A sequence of wordless panel illustrations shows the dirt rising under her hooves until she emerges, dirty but victorious, having gained new respect from her neighbors. The potential for the story (reminiscent of the parable of the donkey in the well) to be read metaphorically is encouraged by Brantley-Newton's dedication to "every child who has been counted out" and her author's note about overcoming childhood struggles with stuttering, dyslexia, and bullying.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sirin Thada. This tribute to the life and artistry of the iconic musician offers readers a chance to delve into Prince's (1958–2016) evolution from music-loving child to determined young adult set on conquering the industry. Born Prince Rogers Nelson and named for his father's jazz band, he was drawn to music from the start: "Music called out to Prince and he wanted to learn how to make it." A lyrical and accessible text illuminates Prince's artistry, highlighting the obstacles he overcame (such as the ridicule he faced for his height and the emotional toll of his parents' divorce) and painting a compelling picture of his resilience -- culminating in the iconic release of the movie and soundtrack for Purple Rain and ending with his 2007 Super Bowl performance. Thada's illustrations enrich the narrative with vibrant, textured images that seem to dance alongside the words. Her use of bold purples, blues, and gold, combined with "colored pencil and aqueous media," brings Prince's electrifying stage presence and his more introspective moments to life. One spread shows Prince mid-leap, diving off the stage into the audience, conveying the energy and intimacy of his live performances. Thada also includes visual nods to Prince's memorable outfits that longtime fans will appreciate.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 Cruzita Tayahua ends sixth grade with a D in Spanish, which is embarrassing considering her family's Mexican roots. But being fluent in Spanish isn't a priority for Cruz, who dreams of being an American pop music superstar. Her summer plan: visit the music theme park Encore Island and enter the Rising Star Contest. A trip to Hollywood isn't part of Cruz's parents' plans, however. They need her help in the family's struggling panadería in the Pacoima neighborhood of Los Angeles, which has been losing customers since her tio Chuy's death a month earlier. When her grandmother gives Cruz a violin "that once belonged to my great-grandpa" and signs her up for mariachi lessons, Cruz is reluctant: "So I'm supposed to learn to speak Spanish and play the violin at the same time?" She's surprised to find that she can sing in Spanish and to discover that she likes being connected to her culture. An unexpected opportunity means she has to choose between her dreams and obligations to family and new friends. Cruz's inner conflict and search for identity are sensitively drawn, and Granillo weaves a believable sense of community pride into the heartfelt and enjoyable story.

Reviewer: Yesica Hurd | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 The day Salva Sanchez's mami didn't come home, her life was turned upside down. Now she's living out of a van in an RV campground with her investigative journalist papi. He's on assignment in Mule Valley reporting on an undocumented woman, Marcia Lopez, who is being held in a detention center and is set for deportation away from her three young children. Salva hangs out at the campground while her father works, her only comforts the songs of salsa legend Celia Cruz. One day Salva ventures out from the campground, and music pulls her inside the local middle school, where she befriends a group of kids in a band. Salva, who blends salsa beats into contemporary pop songs, replaces the belittling Darcy as lead singer. While planning a benefit concert for Marcia to afford a top-notch immigration lawyer, Salva unexpectedly uncovers the shocking truth about Mami. Mancillas handles the difficult topic of a parent who is incarcerated with care. The circumstances are presented directly and in an age-appropriate manner. In the end, Salva confronts Papi for lying to her and sets boundaries with Mami. She also stands up to Darcy's bullying and finds that her voice can help others. An uplifting exploration of family and friendship, mental health, and finding one's place.

Reviewer: Yesica Hurd | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 Ramya (Like a Charm, rev. 11/23) has been sent to Loch Ness to study witchcraft with her aunt, but when her cousin Marley arrives, they learn that Portia, a siren who previously broke up Ramya's family, has taken over the city and is ruling it with her persuasive voice. Told to let the adults handle it, Ramya nonetheless sneaks out at night with Marley to investigate reports of fae in the area and discovers new friends, including a dragon that can carry the cousins to Edinburgh to check on the city under Portia's rule. They also encounter a menacing creature that can mimic anything: if Portia were to project her magical voice from the mimic's impersonations, she would be almost unstoppable. One strength of the narrative is McNicoll's championing of friendship, which surfaces in several subplots, and an even greater feature is the way she weaves Ramya's dyspraxia into the story line: the condition makes Ramya clumsy and inarticulate at times, but constantly being underestimated gives her a chip on her shoulder that affects the ways she interacts with other characters. Though her stubbornness may be a great asset, she has to overcome her attitude block before she can succeed. Bucking the trend of middle-grade adventure stories, in this one the adults handle the problems so that the kids don't have to -- but young readers will still find lots to identify with in this exciting, imaginative novel.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Sammy Savos. At the start of this compelling graphic memoir, four-year-old Enia Feld lives a seemingly carefree life with her loving extended family in 1939 Borek, Poland. Though they are "very, very poor" -- and there are hints of antisemitism and violence to come -- Enia feels safe, secure, and well cared for, her voice constantly lifted in song. "And I thought we would be this happy forever." On September 1, though, Germany invades. The family's rights are continually eroded ("Things changed over the next two years. Slowly") until, inevitably, they are forced to flee for their lives. In five dramatic parts -- Innocence, Hidden, Liberation, A New Beginning, The Girl Who Sang -- this harrowing story is told and shown in clear sequential art that reflects the terror and grief of Enia's experiences in contrast with her early, pastoral-set days. When liberation finally occurs, after years of whispers in hiding, the once-vivacious girl has gone nearly silent, but it's in finding her voice that she is able to begin a new life in America. The history is deeply personal, as related by Nadel (who passed away in November 2023), and her intent is made clear in her concluding note: "I'm not going to be here forever. Someday there will no longer be Holocaust survivors still living...I want you, the young people, the next generation, to carry our stories on." An afterword, family photos, additional resources, an illustrator's note, and details about comics are appended.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) K-3 This picture-book biography tells the story of Mercedes Sosa, popular folklore Argentino singer and activist. Pérez-Prado uses accessible, lyrical prose and includes difficult details about Sosa’s life and the time period during which she performed, including her years of exile in Spain and a brief, age-appropriate history of los desaparecidos. Digital collage illustrations incorporate visual metaphors to emphasize Sosa’s culture, including her Indigenous roots. An afterword providing further historical context and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Qin Leng. Piper Chen loves to sing, from offering a morning song to the sun, to joining the chorus of frogs in the pond, to singing goodnight to the moon. Whether she's "practicing her whistle" or "listening to Nai Nai's homemade jiaozi pop," Piper finds music all around her. When she's offered the chance to sing a solo in her school's spring concert, Piper is initially excited and then gripped by stage fright, feeling as if "butterflies were having a dance party in my belly!" This isn't like singing to a stuffed animal audience. With compassionate guidance from Nai Nai, Piper learns to transform the fluttering butterflies into sources of strength and excitement. Leng's lively ink, watercolor, and oil pastel illustrations render scenes of Piper's interactions with Nai Nai and her classmates with tender detail, enhancing the story's emotional depth. While the outcome isn't in doubt, Piper's sincerity and the themes of courage and self-expression make this book an uplifting choice, inspiring readers to embrace their passions and face their fears with courage.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Mariachi is everything to seventeen-year-old Mexican American Rafael Casimiro Álvarez, given his natural singing talent and the musical chops that run in his family. After the death of his abuelo, upholding his mariachi legacy becomes a way to cope with the loss. When Rafie's family moves from (fictional) North Amistad to San Antonio at the start of his senior year, he expects to be lead vocalist in his new school's perpetually second-place mariachi group, Todos Colores. His hubris wins him few fans and he is instead made to sing backup for Rey, a cute boy Rafie hooked up with at a party during the previous year's Mariachi Extravaganza Nacional competition. Rafie's ambition forces him to suppress his lingering feelings for Rey, but both find their mutual attraction difficult to ignore. Determined Rey, who is afromexicano and trans, is an antidote to Rafie's attitude, as are the queer and proud members of Todos Colores, a fully realized group who celebrates their Mexican heritage, and counter any mariachi conventions steeped in machismo and homophobia (as addressed in an author's note). The use of Mexican argot adds relatable humor, while Rafie's frustrating road to growth and the mariachi musical backdrop make for a memorable queer romance.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA In 1963, fifteen-year-old Decklee left her town of Mayberry, Arkansas, with a dream of becoming a country music legend and never looked back. In 2024, just after the news of her death, seventeen-year-old Mayberry resident and aspiring journalist Darren finds inspiration in her story: "If Decklee could leave, if she could turn herself into a star, what was stopping me?" After the funeral, Darren sees her opportunity: Decklee has arranged a posthumous treasure hunt for a time capsule consisting of music, mementos -- and three million dollars. Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of the singer, Darren and her friend (or maybe more) Kendall follow the clues to Memphis; Nashville; and Tupelo, Mississippi, in search of the prize. Meanwhile, in alternating flashbacks, Decklee narrates her rise to fame: how she fought for a career full of praise, awards, and adoration -- and (heartbreakingly) how she gave up the love of her life to get it. The juxtaposition of the two stories invites readers to consider what's changed for women, especially queer women (Decklee is a lesbian; Darren is bisexual), in the past sixty years. It ends on a hopeful note, as Darren recognizes Decklee's mistakes and learns to love the place they've both left behind. With its smoothly written prose, sympathetic characters, and chemistry-laden double romance, this is a story that lingers after it's finished, like a favorite song.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Weatherford provides an unflinching look at the life of Robeson (1898–1976), activist, scholar, singer, actor, and athlete. Through a series of resonant first-person, free-verse poems, she covers his life from childhood just one generation removed from enslavement to international stardom as an entertainer and his subsequent blacklisting by the federal government. The book is divided into four acts: Youth, Artist, Activist, and Erased. Weatherford's poems are interspersed with lines from Negro spirituals (which Robeson was known for singing), such as "Steal Away" and "Scandalize My Name," along with his own words. Robeson earned a law degree, but discrimination led him to leave that career behind and focus on the arts, a love of his since childhood. Following his success on the stage, Robeson became more active politically, and Weatherford uses his own words to describe his feelings upon visiting the Soviet Union in 1934: "Here I am not a Negro but a human being." Support for the USSR cost him his livelihood. Weatherford doesn't shy away from the racism he faced (including spelling out a racial slur) or from Robeson's suicide attempt. Velasquez's illustrations, produced in oil on watercolor paper, capture Robeson's stature as well as his despair. The book ends with Robeson contemplating how he will be remembered. A timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and copyright acknowledgments for illustrations inspired by existing photos are appended.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 Theatrical scenes in pomegranate reds and peacock greens introduce readers to a young, precocious Googoosh, born Faegheh Atashin, performing in the 1950s with her acrobat father and captivating audiences with her singing. Her rise to stardom and voice "swelling in our hearts like the waves of our beloved Caspian Sea" become inextricably tied to the comfort of culture and home for the people of Iran. But the 1979 revolution shutters performance halls and outlaws women's singing voices. Stark spreads stripped of color depict turmoil as fleeing Iranians are "scattering across the world like windblown poppies," their faces shown as disconnected from anything else. These displaced Iranians live quietly, like Googoosh herself, until her return to performing finally gives people a chance to "bear witness" to memory, homeland, yearning, and joy. Complex and painstaking illustrations -- tea-dyed paper, block prints of hand-carved stamps, brush pens, colored pencils, and collages of paper and cardboard -- showcase the art as a clear labor of love. The text is lyrically and sensorially evocative, conveying devotion to country and pain of separation, and even the use of the second person mimics the formal method of reverence in Farsi. An author's note, additional information about Googoosh, photographs, and sources are appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Hayden Goodman. This engaging picture-book memoir by multiple-Grammy-winner Flack, known for such 1970s megahits as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song," opens with young Roberta's early childhood. She describes it as filled with musical inspirations (her parents played harmonica and organ; she listened to classic songs on the radio) and dominated by her love of the piano and the dream of owning one. Flack's story finds its focus when her daddy brings home a piano from a junkyard ("old, beat-up, weather-worn, faded...and it stank!"), cleans it up, tunes it, and paints it green. Flack's delight in making music is at the center of the story, as she describes the joy she takes at playing her piano and her hours and hours of practice, with her success as an adult musician shown only briefly as the "­bigger dream" that her dedication made possible. That delight in making music is evident throughout in ­Goodman's gouache illustrations, which show Flack's face shining ecstatically when she plays; Goodman fills those pages with joyful green swirls, as if the essence of that beloved green piano is escaping into the air. An author's note from Flack adds more details and a list of career highlights completes the book.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Theodore, III Taylor. "Why can't he put those books down, play football or basketball?" Garvey's father wants to turn him into an athlete, like his sister Angie, but Garvey would rather get lost in a book, listen to music, or dream about galaxies. In addition to pressure at home, he faces endless taunting at school for his weight. When Garvey meets the "skim-milk boy" Manny, who has albinism, he asks how Manny stands the teasing. "I look strange. No changing that. / Is there more to me? / Sure. Kids yell 'albino boy.' / I don't turn around. / Choose the name you answer to. / No one can do that but you." Per Grimes's author's note, this graphic-novel adaptation leaves two-thirds of the original book's (Garvey's Choice, rev. 9/16) tanka poems intact, with only small changes to the rest of them. The verses are given a new visual life with excellent page designs and clever illustrations, including the closing spread showing Garvey singing into a mic and his father playing the guitar, with floating musical notes uniting them in song. An unusually effective use of the graphic-novel format to bring poetry alive.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016; May, 2023

(2) K-3 "Julia Elizabeth Wells was born into a melody--her childhood attuned to the timbre of the tiny English village where she heard music in the rhythm of the river, in the whistle of the wind, in the symphony of songbirds." This lyrical picture-book biography focuses on the challenges and successes of Andrews's early life. When her concert-pianist mother remarried and moved to London during WWII, Julie was summoned to join her and had a difficult time adjusting to life in a large city under constant threat of bombs. But her stepfather, also a musician, discovered her gift of a voice, paid for singing lessons, and promoted her career. Julie became successful so quickly that she performed for the queen while still a child. The book concludes with a brief summary of Andrews's accomplishments as an actor and author of children's books; in an appended author's note, Hedlund describes her personal connection to her subject. Soft-hued illustrations ranging from a series of small vignettes to double-page spreads reveal setting, action, emotion, and personality, complementing the alliterative text, which is full of musical references. The case cover offers a surprise: an illustration of young Julie by the river, with Mary Poppins reflected in the water. Back matter includes a timeline (but no source notes).

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. This lyrical look at the young life of an enigmatic musician follows Prince through his challenging youth and shows how community support helped him channel hard times into music. The rhythm of Joy's (Choosing Brave, rev. 9/22) poetic text matches the rhythm of Prince's early life, feeling sometimes disjointed as he drifts through a tumultuous childhood and suddenly becomes steady as he finds his way to the style that became known as the Minneapolis Sound. Alcantara's (most recently, illustrator of Climb On!, rev. 5/22) washes of watercolor echo the text's progression, starting with more muted blue tones including peeks of Prince's iconic purple, eventually resolving into a glorious celebration of deep purples as his music develops. Joy's telling of Prince's childhood will resonate with young people who use art to find meaning in difficult days. An author's note relates biographical information more directly; back matter also notes Joy's own connection to Prince and his music and includes a family-friendly playlist of his songs.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) 4-6 Classmates Chloe and Maddie, both twelve, used to be best friends. Now they decidedly aren't, and they're dismayed to find themselves in the same bunk at a drama camp. Scenes of the summer (and a production of Wicked) alternate with flashbacks to the previous school year (and The Music Man), gradually revealing the embarrassing secrets each has about the other and the incident that caused the rift. The dynamic between Chloe, a professional child actor (but, lately, not child star), and Maddie, a self-described "chubby Jewish girl with thick glasses and a tendency to fall over at the worst possible moments" (she has dyspraxia), has settled into patterns that leave both feeling frustrated. They're each figuring things out about themselves, and what seems a simple case of an unbalanced friendship reveals itself to be more complex as the two eventually speak honestly about issues that have long festered between them. The book doesn't reach for tidy resolutions, but there's lighthearted fun to be had along the way, including some creativity with golem stories in a screenwriting elective and (spoiler alert) a sweet queer romantic subplot for one of the girls.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023