Bring on that Beat

by Rachel Isadora

Pluck a fat bass, play me an ace.

Trumpet a song, groove the night long. Saxophone jive, keep us alive!

When a jazz trio begins playing under a streetlamp, everyone comes out to listen and dance. It's Harlem in the 1930s, and jazz has the power to make them groove. Combining her fine oil painting style with computer-manipulated colors, Rachel represents the shapes and colors of jazz in a tribute to Duke Ellington with a nod toward painters Klee and Kandinsky. Operating almost wordlessly, the innovative visuals are sprinkled with riffs of slang in snappy couplets-telling a bigger story of how the influence of jazz goes far beyond the neighborhood in this book. This tour de force brings jazz alive for the youngest children.

Genres: Music, Picture Books, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Jazz, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2002

About the author

Rachel Isadora is an award-winning children's author and illustrator. She has written children's books on multiple topics including ballet, life in America and Africa, and has illustrated several Brother Grimm tales in an African setting. She is most well-known for her Caldecott Honor Award book "Ben's Trumpet". She was a ballet dancer before she became an illustrator and children's writer.

Reviews

[Samantha DeVoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars if there had been no color. To me, the color (an attempt to bring the music to life on the page) ruined the otherwise beautiful black and white illustrations. The writing itself was good as well. I just didn't like the addition of colorful shapes and whatnot.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful

Can’t recommend enough

Must have for preschool classrooms

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are the star here -- not many words at all.

Fun how the bright colors (in a variety of shapes) are used to show the music against the black & white scenes.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This basically inspired a lot of jazz dance demos as I tried to explain how that wasn’t quite what the book was about.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one gave a nice flavor of jazz in 1930's Harlem, but it lacked the musical oomph that would have brought it to five stars. (The bar has been set pretty high for our family in terms of music-related children's books with Bebop Express).

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isadora carries on her visual expression of music in this volume published twenty-three years later. While sticking to her predominantly black, white and grey motif, she inserts color into BRING ON THE BEAT to express the life and energy of the music being performed, this time identified as Harlem. With a direct nod to Duke Ellington, she draws on Wassily Kandinsky's and Paul Klee's visual styles to design her color-shapes. And while adult musicians play, children dance to the beat. On the last page, Isadora tries to remind rap musicians that jazz should be honored for it also reigned on the streets. This story probably won't attract young readers unless they already have a high interest in music.

[RachelH. Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Isadora has written and illustrated a beautiful book about jazz music and its African American roots. The words are in a rhythmic pattern that reflects jazz music itself. She also brings the story back to the present at the end when she relates it to modern rap music, which probably originated from jazz. The illustrations are beautiful. The pop of color atop the black and white sketched images provides the perfect contrast and interest. This book would be great for younger students in music class. It would also be a good choice when teaching about African American culture/history and jazz music.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book did not have a lot of words I really enjoyed the color and style of the book. Majority of the book is black and white with the occasional splash of color throughout the pages. When you read the story there is a rhythm with the words, you feel the jazz as your read the story. I also enjoyed the illustrations where it is showing everyone enjoying the jazz music just like they did back in the mid 1900s. I also enjoyed the correlation the author made between jazz music and and today's rap music at the end of the book.

[Sharia A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text book is from a perspective of a person in Harlem. This book was taken place in the 1930s and has pictures in black and white. The black and white pictures are designed with splashes of color. This book does not have that many words but offers a history lesson about jazz music. I would recommend this text to other teachers because it isbasic for students to understand but has imprtant references made.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book! The text is written in rhyming couplets, providing rhythm and flow like a song. The illustrations are black and white except for the jazz music which is colorful and bright. Very cool vibe :).

[Tanika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book celebrates the essence of jazz. It shows how jazz transformed people and music. There can be a lesson over jazz rhythm and beat.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple picture book about Jazz. I have a fairly successful Jazz story time that I do in February and I will try it then. If it's successful I will raise it a star.

[Kansas]

AFG

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Jazz Appreciation Story Time on 4/11/12: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way she is able to paint music and sound waves. Great way to introduce jazz to young children

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great rhythm and rhyme for a jazzy story time!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, and I thought it was good. But I also think it could have been so much better. It could have been nothing short of amazing. I wish she had pushed the envelope a bit further.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book about jazz with my students.

[Queer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.