Kirkus Reviews

In the world of American folk music, Pete Seeger stood tall and proud in his unflinching, lifelong commitment to human rights and dignity. Reich opens with a typical Seeger sing-along moment and then proceeds to trace his childhood, when his father exposed him to the troubles of the Great Depression. A trip to North Carolina introduced him to the five-string banjo. The following years produce a litany of musical activity, with Alan Lomax, Woody Guthrie, the Almanac Singers, and the Weavers. Then came years of blacklisting and Seeger's steadfast refusal to accede to Congressional scare tactics. Protests against the Vietnam War, support of the civil rights struggle, and then a commitment to clean up the Hudson River kept his music steadily flowing. He remains a powerful influence on many musicians and left a legacy of children's songs and protest songs that should be part of everyone's listening. In his passionate and timely foreword, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary exhorts readers to follow Seeger's "spirit" and "turn challenge and adversity into greater determination and love for one another." Gustavson's digitized gouache, watercolor, pencil, and oil paintings offer scenes from Seeger's life in both full-page color and spot-art accompaniments. While not a comprehensive treatment of Seeger's life, this is an excellent introduction; read and sing along—loudly. (author's note, quotation sources, selected sources) (Picture book/biography. 7-12)

ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Through multiple wars, social movements, and activist causes, folk singer Pete Seeger never faltered in his search to find justice through music. From childhood, his integrity and sympathy for the underprivileged was matched only by his love of music. Under the guidance of the likes of Woody Guthrie, Seeger honed his craft and kept his eyes open to the world around him, playing in several bands and writing songs all while championing the working class and the civil rights movement, protesting the Vietnam War, and eventually leading a crusade to help clean up the Hudson River. Gustavson's multimedia illustrations place full-page paintings of Seeger during landmark moments alongside line drawings of other things: a platoon of soldiers pushing through the muddy waters of Vietnam, a Polaroid from Seeger's wedding, a banjo sitting beside a couch. Though some of the more difficult aspects of Seeger's life are glossed over, the "We Shall Overcome" singer's legacy spans decades, and this will surely help a new generation understand his fervor and still-relevant message.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Reich and Gustavson, who previously collaborated on Fab Four Friends, deliver a rich portrait of musician and activist Pete Seeger, focusing on how his deeply held convictions galvanized his music. Gustavson-s mixed-media illustrations highlight Seeger-s modest upbringing and down-to-earth persona, pairing lushly illustrated scenes of him traveling and performing with rough, loose sketches of unemployed men lined up for free food during the Great Depression, a couch where Seeger rested while on tour, and soldiers wading through a river in Vietnam (Seeger was outraged when one of his protest songs, -Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,- was cut from a television appearance). It-s an intimate look at a pivotal American figure who saw himself, as Reich notes, as a link in -a chain in which music and social responsibility are intertwined.- Ages 6-9. Author-s agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Illustrator-s agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. (Mar.)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Gr 1-3 In a lifetime of music making, folksinger Pete Seeger (19192014) brought people together to sing for social justice. Reich's enthusiastic picture book biography opens with a glimpse of the singer inviting an audience to join in, as he did so often, perhaps most memorably at Barack Obama's first inauguration, in 2009. The author, a longtime admirer, then goes back to recap Seeger's childhood and then compresses a 70-year career into key highlights. Aimed at a younger audience than that of Anita Silvey's Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger , this volume does use a relatively wordy text to include the most important events. But understanding Seeger's life and work may require more background in political and social history than the young audience will bring to the story. The summary sometimes feels oversimplified, as when the House Un-American Activities Committee is referred to as "some congressmen." The effort to cover the particulars sometimes obscures Seeger's guiding principles, his strong commitment to social justice, and his sheer joy in bringing people together through singing. Gustavson's realistic art supports the admiring tone. On most spreads, the text and a relevant drawing stand opposite a painting; occasionally the art bleeds over, into, and behind the words. A foreword by fellow folksinger Peter Yarrow helps put Seeger's career into context. VERDICT Seeger's centennial is coming up soon. There will undoubtedly be more written about this principled man, but this selection is a solid introduction. Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD