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Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
Regardless of whether they’ve heard of jazz or Art Tatum, young readers will appreciate how Parker uses simple, lyrical storytelling and colorful, energetic ink-and-wash illustrations to show the world as young Art Tatum might have seen it. Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, but his passion for the piano and his acute memory for any sound that he heard drove him to become a virtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz pianists alike. Included in the back matter is a biography and bibliography.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 8, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
January 13, 2009
Off to hunt up a cd of Tatum playing...I love picture book biographies of artists and musicians.
August 8, 2018
These are some of the more undefined, blurred illustrations I have seen, but they create a sympathy for the main character who was severely vision-impaired. Hearing and touch, and a love for music, turned him into an amazing piano player.
One of the most beautiful pictures is of children catching lightning bugs. Art's parents are on the porch with his brother and sister, watching, and you think Art is left out, but he is inside playing the piano for them, with every moon-themed song he can play. He finds his own way to contribute.
One of the most beautiful pictures is of children catching lightning bugs. Art's parents are on the porch with his brother and sister, watching, and you think Art is left out, but he is inside playing the piano for them, with every moon-themed song he can play. He finds his own way to contribute.
April 10, 2011
So many of the biographies of jazz musicians take on such a far-fetched artistic approach that they lose some of their gravity. This book didn't fall prey to that classic mistake. It was a biography in the truest sense. I enjoyed this. I know that I have no business speaking on the members of the jazz community, but I felt comfortable reading this anyway. The first person point of view was an interesting choice that gave the text a subtle humanized quality. Rather than reading about this musician as though he were someone in a portrait on a wall, he was approachable and identifiable. When the author chose to reference other jazz greats as acquaintances of Art Tatum, I read without knowing who I was reading about, but I didn't feel as though I lost a sense of what the story was expressing. This is a great addition to any children's biography collection. The watercolor paint illustrations were distorted and difficult to make out, but I suppose it went with the overall jazzy tone of the story. Though I'm not a big fan of that particular style, there is a fan base for it since Robert Andrew Parker is a Caldecott Honor Winning illustrator. The text was really the strength, with strong word choice and evident research throughout.
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April 8, 2019This is a beautifully illustrated and insightful biography of jazz pianist Art Tatum. The watercolors are lush, the prose heartfelt and often poetic. I love that the author chose to write in first person (from Tatum's point of view), because it adds a tangibility to Tatum's story. I would recommended this to jazz fans of all ages and lovers of picture books.
March 11, 2018
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum is an illustrated biography about Art Tatum, a jazz pianist. The pages flow easily, with detailed and creative illustrations. It tells the story of Art Tatum, a boy with a love and appreciation for music through short and simple sentences that children can easily decipher.. He spent years and years practicing music and learning through phonograph records and player pianos, local musicians and the radio. He was born in Toledo, his father was a mechanic and his mother sometimes sang at the nearby church. One of the main inspirations Art Tatum had for his love of music was the piano his family kept within his living room. He was born with severely limited vision, and this only progressed as he grew older. He had a number of operations performed, none of which supported his vision. He began playing piano in church, shortly after a woman named Martha Chemples asked him to play at the annual YMCA bake sale. The illustrations included beautiful pen and watercolor tactics, captivating to the eye of the reader. Overall, this biography expresses details of his life, but also shines a light on the importance of the piano and music within his own life. The details provided within this biography is more than most, starting as simple as where he was from and his parents, to specific people who influenced his performance and songs he played on the piano. All of which, creates a better visual for readers when letting the story come alive. I think the most interesting aspect of this specific book is that at the very end, it includes a detailed bibliography with more in depth descriptions of events and characteristics that go further than the text. I think this is important because this book is designed for children, but the biography at the end allows an opportunity for a student who may have a higher reading level to explore and gain more insight. A critique about this book is that the text was a little slow for readers, this may be fixed if the author contributed some more information on the pages, some of the sentences were short and there is room for expansion.
August 30, 2022
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker- The book narrates the story of Afro-American jazz pianist Art Tatum. (October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) Art is regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists in his field. Tatum's mother, Mildred Hoskins, was a domestic worker. His father, Arthur Tatum Sr., was had steady employment as a mechanic. In 1909, they made their way from North Carolina to begin a new life in Toledo, Ohio. From infancy, Tatum had impaired vision. As a result of eye operations, by the age of 11 Tatum could see objects close to him and perhaps distinguish colors. Any benefits from these procedures were reversed, however, when he was assaulted, probably in his early twenties. The attack left him completely blind in his left eye and with very limited vision in his right. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraordinary. Tatum extended the vocabulary and boundaries of jazz piano far beyond his initial stride influences, and established new ground in jazz through innovative use of reharmonization, voicing, and bitonality. He left Toledo in 1932 and had residencies as a solo pianist at clubs in major urban centers including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In that decade, he settled into a pattern that he followed for most of his career – paid performances followed by long after-hours playing. This is an inspiring book for readers of all ages.
March 13, 2019
“Piano Starts Here” by Robert Parker is both an inspirational and controversial as it shares the tale of a young blind child finds his passion and talents playing the piano. On one hand, this is a great story for young children that struggle to see, to show that they can still have great success regardless of being able to see. This would sever as a great story for those children to bond with a character and help lift them up and feel better about their predicament. Additionally, this story could also be used to educate other children that some of their peers do struggle to see but that they are still capable of doing very talented things. On the other hand, this story contains some questionable events such as the boy’s parent taking him to a local bar to play the piano. Even if the boy is a teenager at this point this is still an irresponsible choice for a parent to make. Furthermore, it is never clear when or how much the boy ages in this story which would only make some of these actions more questionable. As this is a children’s story, I think this is really questionable content to include in the tale.
August 10, 2025
This is a wonderful and inspiring children’s book about the amazing and brilliant pianist Art Tatum. It’s not only informative, but also a perfect introduction for both young readers and adults to the genius of Tatum’s music. I especially enjoyed learning more about his early life. So many books tend to focus only on his adult years, but this one beautifully explores his childhood and the beginnings of his talent. The story is uplifting and well-crafted, and the illustrations are captivating. This book sparks curiosity, making you want to learn more about Art Tatum and explore his incredible music.
October 15, 2017
Piano Starts Here is a heartwarming story about young, nearly blind Art Tatum. Art began playing piano early in his childhood. He played at church, birthday parties and bake sales. Everyone admired him and loved his music. As he continued to grow, he got even better at piano. He made money playing all over the country. This book wonderfully depicts what an inspiration Art Tatum was. Although he was nearly blind, he didn’t let that stop him. He became a world-renowned musician who followed his dreams.
March 18, 2018
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum tells the life of the famous piano mucisian Art Tatum. I think this is a wonderful book to read to all children as shown by Art Tatum you can still achieve your dreams even when you are nearly blind. I loved learning about Art Tatum because honestly I didn't know much about him but after reading this book I want to start learning more. I especially love the art in this book as it has a jazz-like feel to it which fits the tone of the story.
October 21, 2018
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker is a biographical picture book about the early life of Art Tatum. He is a famous piano player who was born blind. The book follows him from when he first started playing piano as a toddler up through when he got his big break and became a household name. Robert Andrew Parker does a good job telling his story and he also made some interesting illustrations to make this story memorable.
December 22, 2018
With beautiful illustrations and lyricism, Parker regales the story of Art Tatum's childhood into adulthood as he loses eyesight and learns how to play the piano. He's a talented genius, able to understand chords and songs and rhythm, able to enchant a community and listeners across the country. This book just goes to show how encouragement and perseverance can aid in a lifelong journey of music and joy.
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
March 21, 2017
Parker, R. (2008). Piano Starts here: The Young Art Tatum. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade.
Tatum came from humble beginnings and was practically blind. his passion for the piano and ability to remember any sound inspired him to become a great piano player
This a good book with a central theme of disability. The media portrays the dark subtle theme of the book.
In my class, I can use this book to teach my students that no matter what obstacles, through dedication you can overcome them. This is also a good teaching opportunity on the power of music within disabilities.
Tatum came from humble beginnings and was practically blind. his passion for the piano and ability to remember any sound inspired him to become a great piano player
This a good book with a central theme of disability. The media portrays the dark subtle theme of the book.
In my class, I can use this book to teach my students that no matter what obstacles, through dedication you can overcome them. This is also a good teaching opportunity on the power of music within disabilities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2019
"Piano Starts Here" is a smooth book that tells the journey of Art Tantum who loses his sights throughout his childhood. However, playing the piano allows him to express his feelings and to feel connected with his family and the ones who have encouraged, supported, and loved him.
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March 20, 2020Wonderful picture book which tells the story of this amazing blind jazz musician, Art Tatum. Illustrations are nothing short of amazing. Only children's book on this musician I have been able to find so far.
December 17, 2020
It's a bit wordy, so it's not one where you just zip through. The illustrations are breathtaking and the storytelling is charming and educational. Highly recommend playing Art Tatum as you read along, absolutely riveting.
December 22, 2017
A strong focus on Art Tatum's childhood and how his environment supported his life in music.
Beautiful pen and watercolor illustrations.
Beautiful pen and watercolor illustrations.
December 22, 2017
This focused on Art Tatum's childhood, how he began playing piano more and more and in more places.
I really loved the pen and watercolor illustrations, especially how sketch-y the pen lines were.
I really loved the pen and watercolor illustrations, especially how sketch-y the pen lines were.
September 9, 2018
This would be a good book to have in the classroom library as it supports a diverse community. It is also based on mainly true events from Art Tatum's life.
October 25, 2018
Art Tantum learned to play piano even without being able to see. The illustrations were sometimes a bit blurry for empathy purposes. Overall a good inspirational book.
November 13, 2018
a good biography .
March 10, 2017
This book was good. Its genre is nonfiction and I believe it is a biography. To me, I would much rather read fiction over nonfiction so I do not know if this would be exactly interesting to the kids. It was a sequence of events in the life of Young Art Tatum, but I could not see a clear problem and resolution in the plot. What I did like about this book though is that a piano, an inanimate object, brought so much happiness, comfort and peace to a man to the extent that he never felt unjust for being nearly blind. This story is real, so the illustrations were also factual. However, I did not like that they showed the mom to always be doing house chores, sort of like a maid. This maybe is the truth, but the pictures could have used a larger variety. Another thing that I disliked is that when Young Art Tatum became famous, and went to a "greater" place, that is when Caucasian people showed up, as if they are the sign of success. Again, this could have been factual, but still it disturbed me a little. The author had spoke to the main character, so the story was accurately represented.
November 1, 2012
Before Art Tatum became one of the most celebrated jazz pianists he was a boy in Toledo, Ohio. Art was born with severely limited vision, so instead of playing outside he would stay inside playing the piano in the living room. As Tatum grows older his gift for music earned him recognition. First, he played at church, at the YMCA, and on assembly days at school. Soon after, he played piano in bars and nightclubs and eventually on the radio. As Tatum’s fame grew he traveled far from his family and friends in Toledo, but “No matter where I am, when the room fills with my music, I remember all the people who helped me. The people I love.”
Written from Art Tatum’s perspective the text of this picture biography is unassuming and evocative. Tatum’s observations in the text of what isn’t said is just as telling as what is said in the well-written dialogue. Although the picture book format necessitates condensing Tatum’s life, Parker has included specifics and has filled in the gaps where knowledge of Tatum’s childhood is unknown. For instance, he includes the names of the people in Art’s community and the names of popular songs Tatum played on the piano, which helps the story come to life. The watercolor illustrations, loose and colorful, are framed by the white border of the page, making them seem like snapshots in a scrap book. Black line work is layered over soft edged brush strokes of blended colors creating a detailed, yet blurred world. More information on Tatum’s life and a bibliography are included in the author’s note at the back of the book.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
Written from Art Tatum’s perspective the text of this picture biography is unassuming and evocative. Tatum’s observations in the text of what isn’t said is just as telling as what is said in the well-written dialogue. Although the picture book format necessitates condensing Tatum’s life, Parker has included specifics and has filled in the gaps where knowledge of Tatum’s childhood is unknown. For instance, he includes the names of the people in Art’s community and the names of popular songs Tatum played on the piano, which helps the story come to life. The watercolor illustrations, loose and colorful, are framed by the white border of the page, making them seem like snapshots in a scrap book. Black line work is layered over soft edged brush strokes of blended colors creating a detailed, yet blurred world. More information on Tatum’s life and a bibliography are included in the author’s note at the back of the book.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
June 24, 2017
Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum explores the early life of the influential jazz pianist through lyrical prose and bright illustrations that show the world as Art Tatum might have seen it. Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, but his passion for the piano and his acute memory for any sound that he heard drove him to become a virtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz pianists alike.
This is a picture book biography. It emphasizes the youth of Art Tatum and his family and community relationships in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Included in the back of the book is a more extensive biography of Tatum’s achievements and a bibliography of sources for further research.
I found Art Tatum to be a worthy subject and one who is often lost in the shadows of other, more well-known jazz artists of the age, such as Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. I was inspired by Tatum’s story and I believe students would be similarly engaged in his struggle and eventual triumph.
I would use this book in a lesson on how the distribution and appreciation of musicians within communities has and has not changed over time. I would play a piece of Tatum’s music and have students visualize they type of person playing it. Then we would read the book as an interactive read aloud. I would extend the learning by having the students fill out a brief biography worksheet on Tatum.
This is a picture book biography. It emphasizes the youth of Art Tatum and his family and community relationships in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Included in the back of the book is a more extensive biography of Tatum’s achievements and a bibliography of sources for further research.
I found Art Tatum to be a worthy subject and one who is often lost in the shadows of other, more well-known jazz artists of the age, such as Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman. I was inspired by Tatum’s story and I believe students would be similarly engaged in his struggle and eventual triumph.
I would use this book in a lesson on how the distribution and appreciation of musicians within communities has and has not changed over time. I would play a piece of Tatum’s music and have students visualize they type of person playing it. Then we would read the book as an interactive read aloud. I would extend the learning by having the students fill out a brief biography worksheet on Tatum.
November 27, 2016
Brief Review
I'm always a sucker for a story that centers around someone overcoming adversity through the arts. This biography and Schneider Family Book Award winner tells the story of a young Art Tatum. He was born in 1910 with very poor vision. Although his vision was limited, he had a very sophisticated ear for music. Despite being blind, Art Tatum was able to reach his full potential due to hard work and the love and support of his family and community. The story is a little slow for younger audiences. This could be remedied if the book is accompanied by some of his music.
Content Areas
This book could be used to introduce Art Tatum or jazz in a music class. This would also be a good choice to feature during black history month. The most important take away I got from the story is that everyone can play up to there individual strengths. While Art Tatum was born with poor vision, he showed an interest in music at a very young age. Through hard work, and perseverance, and community support, he became a world class pianist.
Comprehension Questions
In what ways did Art Tatum's community help him to succeed? The twin girls next door would walk him to school everyday, Denise helps him at school, he is asked to play piano at church, the ymca, and local businesses.
Where is Toledo, Ohio? Show the location on a map.
Wonders
I wonder if Arts parents got tired of hearing the piano all the time?
I wonder if Arts parents had to ever make him practice?
I'm always a sucker for a story that centers around someone overcoming adversity through the arts. This biography and Schneider Family Book Award winner tells the story of a young Art Tatum. He was born in 1910 with very poor vision. Although his vision was limited, he had a very sophisticated ear for music. Despite being blind, Art Tatum was able to reach his full potential due to hard work and the love and support of his family and community. The story is a little slow for younger audiences. This could be remedied if the book is accompanied by some of his music.
Content Areas
This book could be used to introduce Art Tatum or jazz in a music class. This would also be a good choice to feature during black history month. The most important take away I got from the story is that everyone can play up to there individual strengths. While Art Tatum was born with poor vision, he showed an interest in music at a very young age. Through hard work, and perseverance, and community support, he became a world class pianist.
Comprehension Questions
In what ways did Art Tatum's community help him to succeed? The twin girls next door would walk him to school everyday, Denise helps him at school, he is asked to play piano at church, the ymca, and local businesses.
Where is Toledo, Ohio? Show the location on a map.
Wonders
I wonder if Arts parents got tired of hearing the piano all the time?
I wonder if Arts parents had to ever make him practice?
October 6, 2014
Parker, R. (2008). Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. Schwartz & Wade.
Picture Book Project
Choice/ 2009 Schneider Family Book Award/ALSC 2009 Notable Children's Books/ Sibert Honor Book
This picture book shows the life of Jazz pianist, Art Tatum. I actually came across this book a few semesters ago when I took a History of Jazz course and thought it would be interesting to include in my classroom. The illustrations really highlight the mood of the book and makes readers feel like they are really inside the book. I love how the book relates the arts and language arts into an easy reader book. I think students across grade levels would truly enjoy this book. It would also be great to talk about disabilities since Mr. Tatum was blind at an early stage.
I would love to use this book in my classroom in order to explore the minds of young students who may have an interest in Jazz. It is also a great way to introduce students to reading biographies, something that is sometimes intimidating to a lot of students. This would also be a unique book to include during Black History Month because most books that are covered talk about the more familiar names such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
Picture Book Project
Choice/ 2009 Schneider Family Book Award/ALSC 2009 Notable Children's Books/ Sibert Honor Book
This picture book shows the life of Jazz pianist, Art Tatum. I actually came across this book a few semesters ago when I took a History of Jazz course and thought it would be interesting to include in my classroom. The illustrations really highlight the mood of the book and makes readers feel like they are really inside the book. I love how the book relates the arts and language arts into an easy reader book. I think students across grade levels would truly enjoy this book. It would also be great to talk about disabilities since Mr. Tatum was blind at an early stage.
I would love to use this book in my classroom in order to explore the minds of young students who may have an interest in Jazz. It is also a great way to introduce students to reading biographies, something that is sometimes intimidating to a lot of students. This would also be a unique book to include during Black History Month because most books that are covered talk about the more familiar names such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
December 10, 2009
Art Tatum was a stranger to me before I read this book. And now, after reading it, I feel as if I actually knew him. Tatum was born with severely limited vision, but he is still able to become an amazing piano player despite that. I am absolutely amazed by this. He was able to listen to a song on the radio and then play it on the piano with his own improvisations and with perfect technique. Incredible. Parker does an amazing job of conveying a sense of Tatum's character, both in the text and illustrations. As always happens when I read a good biography of a musician, I wish I could actually hear his music. While I couldn't hear the music while I was reading this book, Parker did a great job of making me imagine I could hear Tatum playing his piano, both through the text and illustrations. The illustrations and text work perfectly together.
This book is a wonderful way to introduce children to an amazing person who was able to overcome many difficulties to become a famous musician. And it's a great biography in general, complete with some extra information and a bibliography in the back.
This book is a wonderful way to introduce children to an amazing person who was able to overcome many difficulties to become a famous musician. And it's a great biography in general, complete with some extra information and a bibliography in the back.
May 1, 2014
This picture book biography tells the story of young Art Tatum, a jazz pianist. It is a great story for children who might be suffering from a disability and those that love music.
Art Tatum suffered from poor vision. The blurred quality of the illustrations give us an idea of what the world must have looked like through his eyes. The text vividly describes the senses of touch, smell, and hearing that Tatum used to make up for his lack of vision.
Relating to five categories of music in children's literature, Piano Starts Here would fall into the categories of "books where the importance of music is the theme" and "books either fictional or nonfictional, about composers and musicians" (Calogero, 2002). This book talks about the style Art Tatum used to blend several songs into one piece, notable pieces like "Humoresque", "Tiger Rag" and "Memphis Blues", as well as the many famous musicians that Art Tatum worked with.
More important than the musical references is the way that the story conveys the importance of music in Art Tatum's life. With a severe visual impairment, Tatum could not see to play outside, but he could hear and savor the sounds of music.
Art Tatum suffered from poor vision. The blurred quality of the illustrations give us an idea of what the world must have looked like through his eyes. The text vividly describes the senses of touch, smell, and hearing that Tatum used to make up for his lack of vision.
Relating to five categories of music in children's literature, Piano Starts Here would fall into the categories of "books where the importance of music is the theme" and "books either fictional or nonfictional, about composers and musicians" (Calogero, 2002). This book talks about the style Art Tatum used to blend several songs into one piece, notable pieces like "Humoresque", "Tiger Rag" and "Memphis Blues", as well as the many famous musicians that Art Tatum worked with.
More important than the musical references is the way that the story conveys the importance of music in Art Tatum's life. With a severe visual impairment, Tatum could not see to play outside, but he could hear and savor the sounds of music.
October 15, 2015
Until this book I had only a little knowledge of Art Tatum, and for those children who love music, this will be an inspiration. He had very poor eyesight, so very early in his childhood stayed inside, and eventually, started experimenting with the piano. Thank goodness his family had one! Told in first person, it’s an amazing story of one of the jazz greats illustrated also by the author in beautiful watercolor portraits and scenes. Tatum was asked to play as early as ten years old by his pastor, which led to neighbors asking him to play for celebrations. One fun story is that his father and a friend took him to bars, got him a chair at the piano, and told him to play. The bar became quiet, wanting to know who this new player was. Then, with more gorgeous tunes, they began to dance, and filled his pockets with coins. That was the beginning of his name becoming known. It’s hard to write about a musician, and I’m listening to Tatum play as I write--gorgeous pieces given a special jazz flavor. There is extra information at the back of the book, including the sad fact that Art Tatum died at the young age of 46.
March 22, 2009
Schneider Picture Book Award Winner
Parker has won previous honors for his illustrations, but this is his first award as an author/illustrator. Like the best books, he's writing from his own passion as he is a jazz musician himself. The story focuses on Art Tatum's early years, and has won the Schneider Award for an artistic depiction of the disability experience for a child audience. Art Tatum was born with limited vision but doesn't let that impact his music. When his mother tells him to play outside while it's still light, for example, Parker has Tatum say, "...because of my bad eyes, day and night, dark and light, don't really matter to me...bad eyes can't keep me from playing the piano." A bibliography and biographical notes at the end give more information on Tatum's life. I think the book clearly meets the criteria of the award but I'm not sure how many picture book enthusiasts are also jazz fans. A teacher or librarian would do well to introduce the book with a CD of Tatum's music.
Parker has won previous honors for his illustrations, but this is his first award as an author/illustrator. Like the best books, he's writing from his own passion as he is a jazz musician himself. The story focuses on Art Tatum's early years, and has won the Schneider Award for an artistic depiction of the disability experience for a child audience. Art Tatum was born with limited vision but doesn't let that impact his music. When his mother tells him to play outside while it's still light, for example, Parker has Tatum say, "...because of my bad eyes, day and night, dark and light, don't really matter to me...bad eyes can't keep me from playing the piano." A bibliography and biographical notes at the end give more information on Tatum's life. I think the book clearly meets the criteria of the award but I'm not sure how many picture book enthusiasts are also jazz fans. A teacher or librarian would do well to introduce the book with a CD of Tatum's music.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews