Packing themselves into an old jalopywith Daddy, Uncle Vern, and Mama in the front seat and Cassie and her two brothers in the backthey joined the Great Migration from the impoverished Deep South to Chicago, where there was work to be had in the stockyards. Across the kids laps lay Daddys prized possession, a six-string guitar. Daddy worked hard to put food on the table, but what he really loved was playing the blues. This evocative tale of the African-American odyssey in search of a better life is also a homage to the uniquely American music that developed from African music and American spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads. In the books backmatter, Garland relates how he first heard and fell in love with blues music, beginning a lifelong fandom. Portraits and thumbnail biographies of great blues musicians and landmark songs complete this tribute to the great American music and the yearnings that produced it. Fountas & Pinnell Level S

 

 

This book is aimed at children at US 1st grade-5th grade.

This book has been graded for interest at 6-8 years.

There are 48 pages in this book. This book was published in 2019 by Tilbury House, U. S. .

Michael Garland is the author and illustrator of Angel Cat, among many other titles. He lives in Patterson, New York.