ROCK AND ROLL HIGHWAY

Guitarist Robbie Robertson’s son presents his father’s journey to rock-’n’-roll fame.

As a child of mixed Mohawk and Jewish heritage in Ontario, Canada, Robbie spent significant time on the reservation where his mother grew up. There, he was inspired by the vivid storytelling of the elders to become a storyteller himself. He was exposed to many instruments but fell in love with the guitar, which he practiced ferociously. By 16, Robbie was making music professionally. He left Canada for New York City and eventually became the lead guitarist for an established touring band. This experience paved the way for Robbie and his band mates, known simply as The Band, to set out creating their own distinctive sound, which incorporated Robbie’s passion for storytelling in their lyrics. Robertson writes with an endearing tone of adoration and pride, although the narrative runs awfully long: Lengthy paragraphs include superfluous details that will likely lose the attention of young readers who are not already keen fans. The oil illustrations successfully capture time and place, and they incorporate some of the famous faces Robbie met along his way. The book is most likely to be appreciated in settings where children study musical pioneers—and when accompanied by recordings of The Band’s music.

A thorough chronicling of a musical trailblazer—though probably too thorough for most in the typical picture-book audience.