The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue [Hardcover]

A picture book biography of famous composer George Gershwin and a look at his famous compositionRhapsody In Blue.

George Gershwin heard music all the time—at home, at school, even on New York City's busy streets. Classical, ragtime, blues, and jazz—George's head was filled with a whole lot of razzmatazz! With rhythmic swirls of words and pictures, author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Stacy Innerst beautifully reveal just how brilliantly Gershwin combined various kinds of music to create his masterpiece,Rhapsody in Blue, a surprising and whirlwind composition of notes, sounds, and one long wail of a clarinet. Includes author's note, timeline, and bibliography.

* 'One of American music's masterpieces, 'Rhapsody in Blue,' is introduced here along with its composer, George Gershwin.... Slade and Innerst... work beautifully together to create a book that builds to a crescendo just as 'Rhapsody' does. The swirling text wraps around the inventive (and mostly blue) art, both literally and figuratively, capturing the time period as well as the dazzling musical piece.... This is fitting celebration of a musical milestone—keep a copy of the song cued up for curious listeners. —Booklist, starred review



* Slade teams up with Innerst for this pleasant picture book biography of composer George Gershwin... Innerst's acrylic spreads are almost entirely done in blue and gray tones, with broad brushstrokes, scanned textiles, and paper adding texture; each scene is striking. Slade's narrative is highly readable and lightly peppered with musical onomatopoeia.... A detailed author's note, time line, and bibliography add further depth to this well-researched work. Readers will get a glimpse into Gershwin's mind and find the music within. Highly recommended. —School Library Journal, starred review

* Slade illuminates George Gershwin's creative process, from inception to premiere of Rhapsolc