Ordinary Days

August 15, 2023
Lavender-washed pages background this picture-book tribute to Prince. Author Joy grew up in Prince's childhood neighborhood in Minneapolis' Northside and even performed with him once; her lyrical tribute to the groundbreaking Black musician is allusive and evocative, eliciting feelings rather than unreeling facts. "Shouts and silence, / slamming doors; / whispering lilacs, basement floors; / the thud of a basketball, / boom-boom; / the echo of lonely in / a crowded room." Lines such as these paint a picture of an unnamed "beautiful boy" and a difficult childhood characterized by hunger and a constant shuffle from household to household. Basketball and, especially, music coaxed from a guitar lightened these "ordinary days." Alc�ntara contributes vignettes of a small but recognizable Prince huddling beneath a piano or sleeping on a couch. These images of unsettled unhappiness are balanced by paintings of the young artist concentrating with his eyes closed over a guitar or piano, the lavender hues warming to purple with the introduction of red tones. A three-page author's note furnishes any facts that the primary text elides; children content to mull over its moods can do so, while their caregivers can glean necessary context for when their little ones ask questions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Children will come away with a hazy sense of Prince but a firmer grasp on the healing power of music in hard times. (discography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)

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October 1, 2023
Grades K-3 This poetic picture-book biography is a sensitively expressed tribute offered by Caldecott Honor Book author Joy, a fellow performer who shares Prince's North Minneapolis roots. Lyrical, occasionally rhyming language and resonant metaphor describe how a young boy's search for a place of belonging evolved into his passionate dedication to musical expression. With a palette drenched in purples, effectively contrasted with complementary yellows, Alc�ntara's watercolors wash across rainy streets, lonely basements, and crowded dance floors to evoke moods in perfect harmony with the text. Back matter includes an extended note with a detailed life history of the artist, enhanced by the author's personal reflections ("he was ours") and "A Family Playlist" of Prince's hits from 1978 to 1996. Through its compelling poetry, this poignant perspective on Prince's boyhood illuminates the moments that led an ordinary boy to become a musician of extraordinary accomplishments.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 16, 2023
Via emotional verse and lavender-tinged spreads, Joy and Alcántra capture the life and artistry of Prince Rogers Nelson (1958–2016) in this evocative picture book. Growing up with financial precarity in a tumultuous household, Prince found comfort in everyday music, from clanking dishes to his father’s piano playing (“Hard and round, he carried sound like seeds or lucky pennies”). After he received his first guitar, music became his “most faithful friend,” allowing him “to play what he’d been hiding deep in pockets.” Joy’s assonant free verse and Alcántra’s purple and gray watercolor washes create a contemplative mood, the art palette warming as an often-spotlit Prince finds his musical voice. A harmony of poetry and artwork conveys few biographical details, included in a lengthy author’s note. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A playlist concludes. Ages 4–8.

November 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 3-The formula for biographies aimed at children can feel stale after a while: a person is born, overcomes hardship, and succeeds. This is a fresh take, expertly marrying pictures and text to the spirit of legendary musician Prince. The cresting wave of a story details a quiet boy rising through experiences, exploding in a performance full of future potential, before gently receding to show the boy gathering seeds for future beauty. Illustrations fill in narrative gaps. Details of Prince's life are told through swirling purple-tinged pictures. This frees up the text to take on a more lyrical slant. The words focus on the birth of sound, rhythmically echoing Prince's music. It's an incredible showcase found in "shouts and silence, slamming doors; whispering lilacs, basement floors." This dabbles in themes of overcoming difficulties and hard work, but cleverly twists them to value quiet curiosity and observation. Beauty is not in the flash of genius. It's in the "ordinary day," of holding those glories close until they become extraordinary. VERDICT This is a bold biography, finding inspiration from the subject and universalizing Prince's creativity through a gentle approach. It's perfect for elementary schools, especially as applied to music and art.-Cat McCarrey

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2023
This lyrical look at the young life of an enigmatic musician follows Prince through his challenging youth and shows how community support helped him channel hard times into music. The rhythm of Joy's (Choosing Brave, rev. 9/22) poetic text matches the rhythm of Prince's early life, feeling sometimes disjointed as he drifts through a tumultuous childhood and suddenly becomes steady as he finds his way to the style that became known as the Minneapolis Sound. Alcantara's (most recently, illustrator of Climb On!, rev. 5/22) washes of watercolor echo the text's progression, starting with more muted blue tones including peeks of Prince's iconic purple, eventually resolving into a glorious celebration of deep purples as his music develops. Joy's telling of Prince's childhood will resonate with young people who use art to find meaning in difficult days. An author's note relates biographical information more directly; back matter also notes Joy's own connection to Prince and his music and includes a family-friendly playlist of his songs. Laura Koenig

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)