BOOK REVIEW
‘ Scuse me while I kiss this book
By Terri Schlichenmeyer Syndicated Book Reviewer
Sometimes , when you ’ re feeling just a little bit sad , humming a song can help . It doesn ’ t have to be anything fancy ; it doesn ’ t even have to have words . Just a little bit of song , quietly to yourself , can make things seem better . Maybe one certain tune always makes you smile or , as in the new book “ Song for Jimi ” by Charles R . Smith Jr ., illustrated by Edel Rodriguez , it can be an entire riff on a “ git-tar .”
It was the fall of 1942 , and Johnny Allen Hendrix had just made his debut .
Johnny was his name at first , anyway , until his Daddy changed it to “ James ” when the boy was three years old . By then , “ Jimmy ” was used to the way things were at home : his parents drank too much and fought even more . Jimmy kept to himself and rarely spoke .
When his mother finally had enough of it , she left and that was even worse .
“ Jimmy lived the blues ,” so he taught himself to strum an old broom like it was a real “ git-tar .” Eventually , he found a “ worn-out , beat-up ” ukulele and though he was “ born lefty ,” he learned to play it , left handed and right-handed .
Finally , at age 16 , Jimmy got his first real guitar , and it made him very happy ! Still , it wasn ’ t enough : Jimmy wasn ’ t very good in school and a teacher
Author Charles R . Smith Jr .
www . meridianstar . com told him to “ give up on his dream ” and buckle down . He didn ’ t listen ; instead , he worked and practiced and worked harder , until local bands began to hire him and everybody knew his name .
They knew his sound , too . Jimmy ’ s guitar was loud and it screamed with a sound like none other . He kept that sound when he went into the Army . He kept it while in the military . He made his guitar speak “ like a bird learning to tweet .”
And one day , after he ’ d changed his name and changed it again , Jimi Hendrix reached his dream : he was invited to play in a place called Monterey , where he “ showed the world how to kiss the sky .”
Here ’ s a bit of advice : before you read “ Song for Jimi ” aloud , look at it first .
The story jangles with a kind of jerky beat that feels like
Photo : Courtesy of Holiday House Publishing Inc .
a loose-limbed dude walking down a summer sidewalk . It ’ s a poem , but not quite ; a song , but not entirely ; a biography , but more . And it ’ s longer than your usual picture book , wordwise . These are all things that adults will enjoy because author Charles R . Smith Jr . tells a good story and artist Edel Rodriguez adds literal color to the tale . But will kids like it ? Meh . The length is one issue ; the relevance is another , since most picture-book audiences ( in this case , 7-to-12-year-olds ) are likely too young for Jimi Hendrix . In the end , any enjoyment may depend not on the tale itself , but how it ’ s read aloud .
Give it a try once before you give it to your child . Jangle with the story properly , and “ Song for Jimi ” may make your child sing .
“ Song for Jimi : The Story of Guitar Legend Jimi Hendrix ” by Charles R . Smith Jr ., illustrated by Edel Rodriguez , 56 pages , c . 2021 , Neal Porter Books , Holiday House $ 22.99 .
• Terri Schlichenmeyer of The Bookworm Sez is a self-syndicated book review columnist . Schlichenmeyer ’ s reviews include adult and children ’ s books of every genre . You may contact her at bookwormsez @ yahoo . com
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