Shake Rag: From the Life of Elvis Presley [Hardcover]

Amy Littlesugar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 1998 | Age Level: 5 and up

"White Trash" was what they called the boy, just because he wore hand-me-down overalls and lived on the wrong side of the tracks over near Shake Rag. Oh, how things changed when his mama scrimped and saved to buy him a second-hand guitar. It was his best friend. But he caught the real fever from the "good news" gospel music and the sweet rich jazz that poured out of the juke joints in that town. One day he would show all of the doubters. With his music, one day, he would wake up the world! Amy Littlesugar and artist Floyd Cooper create a powerful book that challenges the rumors and stereotypes of one of the most controversial musical legends of our time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Littlesugar's (Jonkonnu) evocative picture book about the boyhood of this rock and roll legend takes place in dirt-poor, mostly black Shake Rag, Tenn., in 1946, far from the grand gates of Graceland where Presley would one day live. Eleven-year-old Elvis never goes anywhere without his treasured secondhand guitar. He finds his inspiration in the radio songs of Mr. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and other blues guitarists and longs to play the kind of music he hears during clandestine visits to the traveling Sanctified Church?music that some people, "black as well as white," called "the devil's music" ("They didn't think much of that bluesy piano playing or the soft wail of a horn on the hot night air"). These early influences would help land Presley his first recording contract at 19 and bring him worldwide fame. Cooper's signature oil-wash paintings?luminous as ever and glowing in tones of browns, yellows and earthy greens?draw readers into a fascinating era. Scenes of worshipers swaying and shouting in the revival tent, run-down storefronts in the glow of a lone streetlight and the portrait of a blues guitarist?eyes closed, lost in his playing?are not soon forgotten. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-A poignant glimpse of Elvis Presley's lonely childhood and of the impact made upon him by the people, both black and white, from the poor side of town-Shake Rag. Friendless at school, he had as his only companion an old guitar; his dreams gave him the courage of hope. Music consumed him and on a visit to the Sanctified Church, a traveling tent troupe, he reveled in the power of gospel melodies. The quality of storytelling is remarkable; readers will feel that the author is speaking over their shoulders as she tells them of a special friend. Soft, muted oil-wash paintings characterize the boy's dream time, blending reality and imagination into one entity. The artist features a rich golden wave of color to illuminate vast scenes as well as an ever-changing light source to draw attention to the child and the people who touch his life. Cooper is at his brilliant best as he creates moving emotional portraits of individuals and of the changes in mood of the young Elvis.
Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (October 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039923005X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399230059
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The King Lives!, December 21, 2000

By 

Karen J. Pierro (NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shake Rag: From the Life of Elvis Presley (Hardcover)

I orginally purchased this book for my Mom who is a real huge Elvis Presley fan. She was delighted to add this book to her evergrowing collection of Elvis thins. One day, while listening to an Elvis CD - my four year old started asking questions about Elvis. Talk about coincidence! We pulled out the book and Grandma read the story based on Elvis's beginnings. She had tears in her eyes remembering how Elvis came from nothing and rose to such awesomeness. My four year old loved the book too. A great gift for an Elvis fan or for reading and teaching a young child about his life. Nicely written for children to understand and beatuifully illustrated. A must have!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, insightful, and for all ages!, December 26, 2011

By 

Readin' and Rockin' "M" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shake Rag (Mass Market Paperback)

Got this as a holiday gift, and what a wonderful gift. Littlesugar did excellent research, but is not overly literal in every detail, which actually works well. Research following that which went into this book shows her story to be very, very accurate. Michael Rose's DVD documentary "Return To Tupelo" really transforms this "story" into the reality it was. Also, research done for a film by Charles "WSIR" Johnson, a musicologist and teacher, confirms most of the story, as presented in this great little book, which is not just for children.

The illustrations are terrific. The boy both does, and does not look like the child-Elvis, and that works for the book. And sometimes, we see things from "his" point of view.

Read and look, as a poverty-stricken and lonely little boy, through circumstance and the power to dream, grows up to change the world.