Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker

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Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library -- School Library Journal, 1/30/2008

From SLJ February 2008

PARKER, Robert Andrew. Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum.PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-93965-5. LC 2006102105. illus. by author. unpaged. bibliog. CIP. Random/Schwartz & Wade Bks. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-83965-8;

K-Gr 4–Breathing life into words about music for young children is never easy, but Parker makes it appear effortless. Perhaps this is due, in part, to his own understandings as a jazz musician. His first-person account about the early years of Tatum’s life is a feast for the senses. Beautifully paced, spare sentences accompany introductory watercolors of the legendary jazz pianist’s family. Viewers watch the toddler on tiptoe reaching for the keys that provided delight to him from this early stage. As the narrative develops and Tatum’s impaired vision begins to fade, the lines lengthen, incorporating the sounds, smells, and physical sensations that were much clearer to him. Listeners can imagine the scents of furniture polish and flowers as the boy plays in church or the vibration of his father’s footsteps as he dances to his son’s music in the living room. Parker’s palette and style vary to create just the right ambience, with compositions ranging from a brightly lit snowscape with realistic figures racing down the path to moody, impressionistic backgrounds swirling around Tatum playing his beloved "Humoresque" on the road as a young man. Notes from the author describe his personal encounter with the musician and provide an overview of his life. A bibliography of adult resources is included; there is little available for children. Showcase this title with Chris Raschka’s Charlie Parker Played Be Bop (Scholastic, 1992) and Andrea Davis Pinkney’s Ella Fitzgerald (Hyperion, 2002) along with some CDs for a joint-jumping, heart-pumping ride.

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