The Music in Derrick's Heart [Hardcover]

Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert (Author), Colin Bootman (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Uncle Booker T., who makes magic by playing his harmonica music from his heart, spends the summer teaching Derrick how to play.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite some lyrical moments, Battle-Lavert's (Off to School) attenuated tale of a boy learning to play the harmonica amounts to little more than a one-note story. It's a steamy summer ("The heat lay on Derrick's front porch like a wool coat"), but Derrick is excited when elderly Uncle Booker T. demonstrates his harmonica skills. To the mesmerized boy's delight, Booker T. "play[s] gold and silver notes. Cheek to cheek. Face to face. Their noses testing the air. Twisting and turning. Turning and twisting." The music inspires deep feelings: Big Mama cries, explaining later that Booker T.'s songs "just set my soul on fire.... I'm thinking of all our kinfolk who have gone on to glory. If Booker T. keeps on playing like that, we going to have church right here." As Derrick determinedly practices the harmonica, he repeatedly asks if he himself has "the feeling" yet and his uncle patiently replies, "Slow down. Take your time." Although there are minor diversions along the way, the story is dominated by obvious and predictable lessons. Bootman's (In My Momma's Kitchen) realistic oil paintings provide affectionate portraits of the characters but lack movement; they don't invigorate the text. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Uncle Booker T. has promised to teach Derrick to play the harmonica, and the boy spends the summer practicing with the dapper old man, who insists that Derrick "slow down" to let the music come from his heart. The child doesn't really understand what that means, but he listens as the accomplished musician plays hymns to soothe Big Mama, snappy jazz to get Aunt Agnes's feet a-tappin', and a sharp march to help the neighborhood boys keep the beat of their rhythm band. One day, when Uncle Booker T. can't play because of his arthritis, Derrick summons up all that he has learned and he takes the time to allow the "sweet, sweet music" to pour forth from the old harmonica. This tale of an intergenerational friendship, somewhat reminiscent of Karen Ackerman's Song and Dance Man (Knopf, 1988), is an appealing look at the sense of community the music fosters throughout this black neighborhood. The straightforward text conveys a mood of comfortable idleness, and the characters are simple, down-to-earth people who exude a real fondness for one another. Bootman's realistic acrylic paintings give suitable suggestions of a small town with its big front porches and ordinary homes; the strength of the illustrations, however, lies in the artist's ability to show the textures of the characters' faces. A pleasant read-aloud that will radiate "sweet, sweet music" to its listeners' ears.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823413535
• ISBN-13: 978-0823413539
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,396,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Music in Derrick's Heart, September 29, 2000

By 

Felita Yarbrough (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Music in Derrick's Heart (Hardcover)

The Music in Derrick's Heart is a story of a young African-American boy who is introducted to the wonders of the harmonica. Derrick's uncle, Booker T., had promised to teach him to play the mouth harp during the summer. While instructing Derrick his uncle reminds him, playing music is about more than skills: "You've got to feel it in your heart." Derrick spends his days practicing and his nights are spent with the harmonica taped to his heart or head. Then one morning, Derrick's uncle receives a visit from ol' Arthur, arthritis with all its aches and pains. Derrick soon discovers that music has healing powers if played from the heart. This was a great intergenerational story about passing your gift on to the next generation.