Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly [Hardcover]

Anne Bustard (Author), Kurt Cyrus (Illustrator)

Book Description

A biography of the musician, born Charles Hardin Holley during the Depression in Texas, and who pioneered a new kind of music.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5 - Bustard describes Holly's early life, his family's fascination with music, and his path to becoming a recording star. Information on his musical influences, his early bands, and the creation of the Crickets and their success is included. This lively work is written in a folksy vernacular, with plenty of yeehaws, whoo-de-doos, and yeeee-doggies thrown in with colloquial expressions like "knee-high to an armadillo" and "Buddy stuck to that guitar like white on rice." While the enthusiastic text is very casual, a factual afterword presents more details about Holly's life and career. Attractive watercolors contribute to the down-home atmosphere. Well done, but of limited interest to most kids. - Jeffrey A. French, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Few kids know Buddy Holly; grandparents, more than parents, may be familiar with his music. So does this biography stand up without the benefit of his music being played in the background? Well, Bustard gives it a game go in a raucous, upbeat homage, which uses the cadence and rhythms of the South to capture the feel of the music and the excitement it generated in Holly. Raised in a family where toe-tappin' music was a regular feature, Holly "lassoed first prize" at a talent show by playing the fiddle when he was five. As a teen, he devoted his full attention to music that was "faster than greased lightning, louder than a thunderstorm, more powerful than a Texas twister." The artwork gets in the groove, as well. Handsomely realistic pictures of kids dancing or Buddy playing rock-and-roll are mixed with more surreal moments, such as 45s floating in the sky. Only one sentence in the afterword speaks to Holly's tragic death in a plane crash. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689866674
• ISBN-13: 978-0689866678
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,570,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Problem With Today's Kids, May 11, 2005

By 

Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly (Hardcover)

--is that they don't know enough about Buddy Holly the rock star of the 1950s! Well, why should they, people who knew him personally are fading fast, and even the hit film THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY was released way back in 1978. (Although it's out on video and is readily available, as are each of Holly's recordings). Finally here's a book which could serve as a primer to educating young people about the legend who died too soon. It has colorful, attractive pictures of young people at work and play, and you can't help but recognize the familiar bespectacles countenance of our hero.

Bustard is a fine writer with many Texas quirks to her writing, and while some young readers may not be able to decipher her lingo, others will go for it with gusto. I expect this child's biography to win the Newberry Award for book of the year. One proviso, of course the story ends rather sadly. Some young children are not ready to take in a whole book which winds up with the main character dying a terrible, lurid death. But most of today's kids will be able to take it, and before long they will be rocking out to RAVE ON, PEGGY SUE, and TRUE LOVE WAYS right in front of your eyes. I expect this book will be a big hit in Lubbock, Texas, center of the Buddy industry and eye of the Holly hurricane. Remember--"it's so easy to fall in love."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't forget the artist, March 25, 2008

By 

John Lindberg - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly (Hardcover)

Mr. Cyrus does it again. He obviously carefully researched his subject before completing this thoroughly one of a kind artwork. Even though most children will not be aware of who Buddy Holly was, this story along with the beautiful illustrations will be sure to hold their interest. Bravo for Kurt Cyrus!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 11, 2007

By 

S. Schumacher - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly (Hardcover)

Good story. My husband and son both love it. We're big fans of his music ;)