Reviews for A horn for Louis

The average rating for A horn for Louis based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-09-13 00:00:00 Kevin Tansey Kimmel doesn't just adapt folk tales into picture books. This is a short tale of a pivotal period in a boy's life, a boy who grew up from abject poverty to become one of the most famous Blues artists of the early & mid-20th century. Louis Armstrong deserved the luck that brought him such great friends in a family of immigrant Jewish people in New Orleans. And Kimmel tells the story with verve, distilling history, racism, bullies, humor, adventure, triumph, and a helpful author's note & glossary. Highly recommended to all families and school & public libraries. Please read it, and booktalk it.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-05-03 00:00:00 tseng ziv A simple chapter book for young readers that shares just as much about the history and culture of New Orleans as the origin of Louis Armstrong, A Horn for Louis presents a fresh take on the Jazz Great's childhood based on an unpublished memoir. Eric Kimmel does a great job of describing the state of the city for the impoverished during Louis's youth, and presents yet another well-crafter historical narrative on his origins as a musician. Once again we're left with an aspiring musician, short on luck, whose eye is caught by a beautiful instrument beyond his reach. Unlike most tales related to Louis Armstrong, this one The book is short on illustrations, but the charcoal pencil work of James Bernardin does a great job of drawing the reader into the rundown apartments, back alleys, and city streets of New Orleans. While messy compared to the pointillism style of many pencil artists, the illustrations offer detailed character portraits, with special attention paid to the facial details and appearance of the story's main players. A charming tale about family and pursuing one's dreams, A Horn for Louis offers yet another unique perspective on his childhood, albeit one that's a bit short for character.