Little Stevie Wonder [Hardcover]

Quincy Troupe (Author), Lisa Cohen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Eleven-year-old Stevland Judkins Morris Hardaway hit the big time when he signed a Motown recording contract. At the age of thirteen, Little Stevie Wonder had millions of fans dancing to the number-one song in the nation.

Little Stevie Wonder is the true story of a boy who lost his sight shortly after birth, grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and became one of the twentieth century’s most creative and influential musicians—an instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, musical innovator, and cultural activist.

Here in Quincy Troupe’s joyful poem and Lisa Cohen’s vibrant art is an uplifting celebration of life, peace, and music.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Singing sensation Wonder gets an upbeat treatment in this stylish picture book. Troupe uses one of Wonder's signature songs--"Isn't She Lovely"--as a link to his own free verse: "Isn't he lovely, / this small blind boy, thinking of his fingertips? / Snapping those fingers before unseeing eyes." Mostly, the text works well, capturing the intensity of Wonder's music and the excitement of its evocative words: "His hands caress his harmonica, / his fingertips and breath pulling sweet music--like magic--from that old blues instrument of wood and polished steel." But some repeated lines are hyperbolic (Stevie was "born to love everyone"), and the insertion of straight biographical information is awkward. The acrylic artwork, however, is as dynamic as Wonder's music. Bold, pure colors and big, yet simple shapes pop from the pages as the pictures track Wonder from boy "genius" to mustachioed adult with beaded cornrows. Wonder's trademark sunglasses sometimes emit rainbows, an effective way of putting his disability in the larger context of his life. An author's note tells more about Wonder's life, and a CD, not available with the galley, offers two songs. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"The acrylic paintings perfectly match the joyful nature of the narrative. The human figures are expressive and fluidly drawn, and the backdrops have a psychedelic quality that evokes the time period. Text ripples in waves across a riot of bright shades, accented by font color and size changes." School Library Journal, Starred

"Stevie's accomplishments and positive energy come through in the catchy text and electric-hued artwork." Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618340602
• ISBN-13: 978-0618340606
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Musical

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great Book on Stevie Wonder, September 29, 2007

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Little Stevie Wonder (Hardcover)

Stevie Wonder is One of my All time Favorite Artists ever and I have followed his career for a real long,long time. this Book is a very Good start to learning about how Stevie Wonder overcame obstacles and began his journey as a Musical Genius and His Impact and his Talents.having mental Vision can take you so far and Stevie Wonder has always had that gift.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars courage and adversity, October 5, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Stevie Wonder (Hardcover)

This is a picture book biography of sorts of Stevland Judkins Morris Hardaway, otherwise known as Stevie Wonder. The book tells us all about Stevie and his life. We learn that he goes blind and very gifted in music. He plays lots of instruments well and learns to sing. Stevie lets nothing stop him and grows to be a great singer and song writer!



The book has lively illustrations , good vocabulary , and an overall
energetic attitude.

This book will appeal to young music lovers. The book come with a CD including 2 of Stevie Wonders songs.