Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Ozzy loves attention, and what better way to get it than to play the drums?Ozzy, an enthusiastic girl with tan skin, black hair, and adorably huge googly eyes, will do anything to be the center of attention, especially in music class. Everyone in her racially diverse class, which includes kids of varying skin tones, physical abilities, and attire, loves their music teacher, Ms. Bomba, a woman of color. When it comes time to prepare for the school recital, titled ¡Vamos a Bailar! Let's Dance! everyone chooses an instrument. Ozzy picks the most attention-grabbing instrument she can think of: the drums. She quickly discovers that making a big noise with her bass drum isn't the same as making music together. "You'll get us all offbeat," says one classmate. "She's ruining it for everyone!" yells another. But Ms. Bomba, with her gentle kindness, steers Ozzy back to playing her steady (boring) part. Steele brilliantly evinces Ozzy's zest for life and strong emotions with a few simple lines, and the double-page spread depicting a dejected Ozzy lying on her bed amid the detritus of an active girl with many passions captures her spirit perfectly. When the night of the recital arrives, Ozzy is uncharacteristically fazed by having so many eyes suddenly on her. But Ms. Bomba's understanding presence is there, leading Ozzy and the group, locked into the beat, to a triumphant finish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Brava, Ozzy! (Picture book. 4-8)

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Most readers know someone like Ozzy: fun-loving, energetic, exuberant -- and always wanting to be the center of attention. She particularly wants her cool (so cool she displays a poster of Grace Jones in her classroom) music teacher, Ms. Bomba, to notice her. So, when it comes time to pick an instrument for the school's recital, Izzy decides that it's the drums that will make the biggest impact. After creating a lot of noise, however, she discovers that's not the type of impact her teacher wants. Ms. Bomba gently reminds her that rather than be the star of the show, the drummer's job is to be discreet and set the tempo, a task she glumly carries out. "Ozzy felt invisible." Still, she practices her part, but on the night of the recital, she freezes; the bewildered band members are unable to begin. Ms. Bomba smoothly directs Ozzy to establish the beat, and "lead us in." Acting as a cohesive whole, the group performs beautifully, a thematic element emphasized as they sit on a curved stage visually enfolding all the musicians. Steele's vibrant watercolor and ink illustrations reflect the energy of Ozzy's diverse classroom; readers see the students dancing, tapping their toes, and singing in unison, displaying a contagious joy that hits all the right notes.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Ozzy loves attention, and what better way to get it than to play the drums?Ozzy, an enthusiastic girl with tan skin, black hair, and adorably huge googly eyes, will do anything to be the center of attention, especially in music class. Everyone in her racially diverse class, which includes kids of varying skin tones, physical abilities, and attire, loves their music teacher, Ms. Bomba, a woman of color. When it comes time to prepare for the school recital, titled ¡Vamos a Bailar! Let's Dance! everyone chooses an instrument. Ozzy picks the most attention-grabbing instrument she can think of: the drums. She quickly discovers that making a big noise with her bass drum isn't the same as making music together. "You'll get us all offbeat," says one classmate. "She's ruining it for everyone!" yells another. But Ms. Bomba, with her gentle kindness, steers Ozzy back to playing her steady (boring) part. Steele brilliantly evinces Ozzy's zest for life and strong emotions with a few simple lines, and the double-page spread depicting a dejected Ozzy lying on her bed amid the detritus of an active girl with many passions captures her spirit perfectly. When the night of the recital arrives, Ozzy is uncharacteristically fazed by having so many eyes suddenly on her. But Ms. Bomba's understanding presence is there, leading Ozzy and the group, locked into the beat, to a triumphant finish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Brava, Ozzy! (Picture book. 4-8)

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

Tan-skinned Ozzy adores getting attention: she-s first seen skating into the kitchen with the family cat balanced on a box on her head. So she-s elated when she ends up with the drum part for a school recital-¡Vamos a Bailar! Let-s Dance!-directed by her beloved music teacher. During the first rehearsal, Ozzy goes wild, bashing the drum as loudly as she can. The picture of calm, Ms. Bomba, who has brown skin, says -let-s just take it from the top,- then assigns Ozzy a triangle, too. Lying on her bed at home, Ozzy resembles an Allie Brosh character, with a wide-eyed, thousand-mile stare, and limp arms and legs: -How were you supposed to feel good when all you got was bom-bom-bom-ding?- Kinetic watercolor-and-ink drawings by Steele (Okapi Tale) are packed with energy and information about Ms. Bomba-s variously inclusive music classroom. Steele makes Ozzy-s need to be the center of everything funny rather than off-putting, and the story is free from any whiff of moralizing-watching the protagonist learn how to become part of a team is a pleasure straight through. Ages 4-8. Agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary. (Oct.)