ROCK ’N’ ROLL SOUL

For every kid who makes a joyful noise from sunrise to sunset…and all the adults within earshot.

A little tan-skinned girl, with her black hair in two puffballs, declares in Verde’s rhyming text that she has a “rock ’n’ roll soul,” and when she performs in the school talent show, she brings the house down. No matter where she goes in her urban neighborhood or what she does, her steady companion, music, follows. Even when she sleeps, she dreams of music. In a six-page dream sequence, only the unnamed protagonist, dressed in an outfit for each occasion, appears in color while her audiences, admirers, orchestra (which she conducts), and marching jazz band (which she leads) appear in gray. Reminiscent in style and energy of Quentin Blake’s illustrations, Cordell’s watercolors pulse with life, movement, and lighthearted fun. Onomatopoeic words follow this kid everywhere (“Tap-a Tap-a Tap-a”; “chikk-a chikk-a”; “zoing oing toing”) in scratchy, hand-drawn and -colored letters. Her single dad, who makes a brief appearance at home, clearly enjoys the musical exuberance of his daughter, who gets quiet only when she sleeps (and dreams of music). Though entirely lacking in conflict, this picture book encourages girls to let the music inside them come out.

A rappa-tappin’ good read that will invite readers young and old alike to move, groove, and turn on their favorite tunes.