Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters is a sweet and simple picture book about a titan of American folk music. The story mostly focuses on Muddy's childhood and early music career, but the book does include an incident when he was a field worker in the rural South in which he confronted a racist boss who called him "boy."
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What's the story?
MUDDY: THE STORY OF BLUES LEGEND MUDDY WATERS follows the childhood and early career of the popularizer of electric "Chicago" country blues. Beginning with young McKinley Morganfield's upbringing in rural Mississippi, author Michael Mahin traces his journey from cotton fields to Chicago juke joints to Chess Records recording fame. Refusing to compromise on his traditional Delta sound, Muddy makes it big on his own terms, bringing attention to a nearly forgotten strand of traditional music that proved to be popular and relevant once more in the 1960s.
Is it any good?
Light on words but heavy in meaning, this biography really takes readers into the world of the Mississippi Delta in the Jim Crow South. Award-winning illustrator Evan Turk's vibrant watercolor, ink, and collage artwork evoke the gut-bucket sound and feel of the music and the electrifying energy of Chicago, one of the most important cities in black music history. Muddy is a great way to introduce young kids to the rich world of America's folk music traditions, and to expose them to a little bit of the history of a troubled time period and a remarkable individual.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about what they learned about the blues in Muddy. Where did it come from? Why was this music important to African-Americans in the years after the end of slavery?
Why did so many people leave the South during and after World War II? Was anyone in your family part of this movement?
Try drawing a picture of your favorite musician or type of music. What colors will you choose to show what the music sounds like?
Book details
- Author: Michael James Mahin
- Illustrator: Evan Turk
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Misfits and Underdogs, Music and Sing-Along
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum
- Publication date: September 5, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 48
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Themes & Topics
For kids who love music and African-American history
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