The New York Times Book Review - Paul O. Zelinsky
The story of grandparental attachment and personal growth is beautifully told, and in no way relies for its impact on the fact that we're getting it from the mouth, or keyboard, of Keith Richards…I think this book will resonate with both children and the gatekeepers of children's books.
Publishers Weekly
★ 09/08/2014
Yes, it's a celebrity book—a very good one. Writing in an intimate, easygoing voice that blends the boyish with the avuncular, rock legend Richards pays tribute to his grandfather and role model, Theodore Augustus Dupree, a veteran musician who lived in a house "filled with instruments and cake." Gus is a mite footloose—he evades chores and once took young Keith on a ramble that ended so far from home that they had to spend the night under a tree. But he also introduces his grandson to the magic of a musical instrument workshop ("Men tested the guitar strings dinka-plink dinka plink.... And right then, right there, I fell in love with instruments"), bestows his prize guitar on Keith, and sets a high bar for musicianship (hearing Keith playing the complex instrumental "Malagueña," Gus remarks, "I think you're getting the hang of it"). Theodora Richards, Keith's daughter of Richards, contributes fluid, inked sketches and other freestyle graphic elements that exude love and spontaneity. The accompanying CD proves Richards is as adept at telling bedtime stories as he is performing on stage. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
* "[The story] is all told so naturally and with such sweet verve that readers may not notice that this is the legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones. The vibrant and evocative pictures are done by Richards' daughter...Over swathes of rich color she lays pen-and-ink drawings of figures and instruments, architectural details, free-floating musical notes—and cakes and tea things—that brilliantly carry the power of love and music into visual imagery. A CD of the author reading the story and playing a bit of "Malagueña" is included, and it is pretty wonderful, too. A beautiful example of artistic bookmaking, a story of family love and lore, and the magic of music personified in a way that's utterly accessible to children—and their dazzled parents."—Kirkus, starred review
* "Theodora Richards, Keith's daughter, contributes fluid, inked sketches and other freestyle graphic elements that exude love and spontaneity. The accompanying CD proves Richards is as adept at telling bedtime stories as he is performing on stage."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This rocks, though the effect is more like being rocked in a grandparent's arms."—Booklist
"Beautifully told."—The New York Times
School Library Journal
09/01/2014
K-Gr 2—Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has penned a poignant picture book depicting his close relationship with his grandfather Gus. The author is keenly aware that his musical accomplishments will mean little to the book's target audience and focuses entirely on his childhood, rather than on his later career. Back matter gives readers some basics on his life, including the charmingly humble statement "Keith later began playing in a band with a group of friends, including Mick Jagger. They called themselves the Rolling Stones." He relates his experiences spending time with Gus, who took the boy on walks and gave him his first guitar, which started a lifelong passion for music. There's little of the hilariously snarky Keith that adult readers will know from his autobiography, Life (Little, Brown, 2011); written in free verse, the text is tender, though never cloying, and both the author's love for music and his grandfather come through. Loose black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations, done by Keith's daughter, affectionately depict the title characters, as well as the various objects in their orbit (musical instruments, Big Ben, tea kettles, a double-decker bus), while backgrounds provide rich washes of purples, blues, yellows, and green, emphasizing the beauty and the sense of magic of the music. A gentle story celebrating the importance of family.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2014-09-09
What makes music the heart and center of a life? In this case, it is a grandfather who lives in a house full of "instruments and cake." When Keith visits his granddad Gus, they walk everywhere, and Gus hums tunes and symphonies as they wander through towns and villages—even all the way to London. In the workshop of a music store there, Keith is taken by the guitars. When he is tall enough, Gus promises, Keith can have the guitar that sits on top of the piano in his house. When that moment comes, Gus teaches Keith "Malagueña," because then he "can play anything." This is all told so naturally and with such sweet verve that readers may not notice that this is the legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones. The vibrant and evocative pictures are done by Richards' daughter, named for her great-grandfather. Over swathes of rich color she lays pen-and-ink drawings of figures and instruments, architectural details, free-floating musical notes—and cakes and tea things—that brilliantly carry the power of love and music into visual imagery. A CD of the author reading the story and playing a bit of "Malagueña" is included, and it is pretty wonderful, too. A beautiful example of artistic bookmaking, a story of family love and lore, and the magic of music personified in a way that's utterly accessible to children—and their dazzled parents. (biographical note, photographs) (Picture book. 4-10)
