It's everyone's favorite day in music class: instrument selection day! Even though Rosie has waited for this day all year, she is nervous to try the instrument she has always dreamed of playing, the electric guitar.
Join Rosie as she learns how to find her voice, work with others as a team, and face her fears. This heartfelt story includes details about the electric guitar and women who helped pave the way for musicians today!
It's everyone's favorite day in music class: instrument selection day! Even though Rosie has waited for this day all year, she is nervous to try the instrument she has always dreamed of playing, the electric guitar.
Join Rosie as she learns how to find her voice, work with others as a team, and face her fears. This heartfelt story includes details about the electric guitar and women who helped pave the way for musicians today!
The fourth-grade students were in for a special treat today. The class took turns selecting an instrument to learn to play. There were many options to choose from. The music class had the typical collection of instruments that you'd find in many public schools: saxophone, drums, and clarinet, among others. Ms. A's classroom housed musical instruments I had never seen in a real or cinematic classroom as well. There was a turn table for aspiring DJs and mixers. The teacher also had a rock band closet. AWESOME!
Rosie aspires to learn and play the electric guitar like her rock idols Joan Jett and H.E.R. Unless young kids have been introduced to the legendary rocker Joan Jett, that name would fall flat with them. H.E.R. would be more recognizable to the younger crowd. The author also name-dropped Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and the Sleater-Kinney. All great artists, but again, none they might recognize. A reader will need to go online or visit a library to learn more about each musician listed.Â
When the school hosts a talent show, Rosie faces a fear many artists have battled: stage fright. Rosie doubts her abilities, but her teacher gives her excellent advice that will be unveiled when you read the book. If you'd guessed Rosie overcame her fears and rocked the show, you'd be right. Rosie rocks at playing the electric guitar!
Amazon's recommended reading age is 5-10 years. Most, if not all, kids in that age bracket will know what a guitar is, but the term telecaster noventa might be foreign to them. Thanks to the illustrator, kids won't have to wonder for long. And thanks to the internet, kids can (with parental permission) look up and learn more about any or all of the musicians mentioned in the book. For convenience to readers, I would've added a section with a small bio of each music artist listed so families didn't have to hunt for it online.Â
On the plus side, I loved the addition of the string names and the explanation of frets. The illustrations reminded me of playing with paper dolls as a child. Simple in appearance, each colorful character really popped on the pages!Â
3.5 stars