#24 Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow

Jimi Sounds like a Rainbow #24

Written by: Gary Golio

Illustrated by: Javaka Steptoe

Clarion Books

2010

32 pages

Nonfiction

            This book is about Jimi Hendrix in his childhood.  It informs the reader that he played on a one string ukulele. Jimi would play simple tunes and try out new ways to play it making the sound of rain drops. He grew up in a boarding house with his father. The other kids loved Jimmy’s drawings, how he made funny noises with his mouth like trumpets and guitars. He had two best friends that stayed by him even though he had a rough time as a child.  The book tells how he loved to draw and his love for music.

            The illustrations of this book are astonishing. The illustrator listened to his music and did a lot of research on Jimi before he drew the pictures. He used plywood from The RE Store in Ballard. Jimi is painted different then the background and other people because he saw people in another way. He layered the pictures to represent the depth of music. The bright colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple were used to represent the texture of his music.

            This book is appropriate for kindergarten to fifth grade students. This book could be used in your classroom in main ways. Jimi  Sounds like a Rainbow could be used to teach your students character education by educating them to see things through their own eyes like Jimi did. This book could also be used to learn about Jimi Hendricks childhood through the end of his life. This book would also be ideal to use when you are teaching your students about authors and illustrators because there is a detailed note from the author and the illustrator.  This book just recently received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award in 2011.