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

In this comic book–style trip down memory lane, circa 1955–1957, Stamaty (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Who Needs Donuts?) recalls his conversion to rock ’n’ roll. For a while, “my favorite songs were often gentle melodies that put a sweet smile on Mom’s face,” he recalls. As times change, a panel presents a pantheon of rock and blues musicians from Bill Haley to Bo Diddley. Stamaty pictures integration without naming it, and a delirious spread, crowded with the oversize lyrics to “Hound Dog” (“Youainnuthinbuttahounddogcrockinallatime”), pictures him physically bowled over by Elvis Presley. His distraught mother reluctantly allows him to buy the 45-rpm single for “Love Me Tender,” never reckoning on the raucous B-side. When Stamaty gives his classmates pompadours and performs as Elvis for a talent show, today’s <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">High School Musical fans may see common ground. Stamaty doesn’t say what he sang or explain his title reference, but an amazing afterword (with photos) verifies his childhood hairstyle and impersonation, plus a 1990s reprise for President Clinton. The energetic color comics present Stamaty’s nostalgic memories in an engaging, albeit quaint way: grandparents can share this with the MP3 generation. Ages 5–8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

School Library Journal (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 4-8 Young fans of Elvisand especially their moms and dads and grandparentswill delight in this enthusiastic depiction of Presley's influence on the author's musical tastes. Given a radio in 1955 when he was eight, Stamaty was already listening to music when Elvis roared onto the scene. The beat, the rhythm, and the volume drove his mother to distraction but turned him into a lifelong fan. While the layout may be in sync with the animation that Stamaty is trying to portray, at times the combination of exaggerated facial expressions, cartoon panels, hand-lettered text of various sizes and colors, and musical notations sweeping across the pages overpower it. Interspersed bits of the history of rock 'n' roll and thumbnail portraits of some of the performers further crowd the page. Nevertheless, enthusiasts of the music are sure to linger over the mix of information and images that Stamaty energetically supplies. Appended are photos and commentary from "Elvis-related moments" in the illustrator/author's life. Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

ALA Booklist (Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Older generations may never tire of telling kids how much rock 'n' roll, and Elvis in particular, rattled society. But in this picture-book memoir, Stamaty captures just how raucous the rock revolution really was. In comics-style panels, he lays out how pleased his mom was when he was listening to the old crooners and classical music on his radio. Then, one day, Elvis blasts out of the speakers, joyfully upending the boy in one explosive spread that's followed in the next by Mom clutching her head in despair from "the wailing of a lunatic asylum!" Even as the boy goes from ardent listener to pompadoured hip-wiggler, Mom eventually comes around to the new sound. Dividing each page into multiple panels with sizable chunks of text allows Stamaty to cram a lot of information (both on rock history and his community's reaction to it) into the picture-book format. It's a fairly busy offering, but one that matches its subject well and makes a convincing case that that an old, dead singer really was cool.

Kirkus Reviews

Although Stamaty's latest graphic memoir is based on real-life events, it's also a mystery—not a whodunit, though, more of a "who's-it-for." Detailing Stamaty's lifelong enthusiasm for Elvis, the saga starts in 1955 when young Mark receives a radio as a birthday gift. Little did his parents know that popular music was poised to make a major shift, one that would turn their son into a nine-year-old pompadour-wearing, tennis-racket-strumming Elvis impersonator. Although initially his mother objects strenuously, her happiness at her son's success at a Cub Scout banquet performance shows that she is proud of his talent even if she doesn't share his taste. The author's text evokes everyday life in the '50s and briefly identifies a number of the musicians who contributed to the development of rock 'n' roll. His detailed illustrations offer plenty of context, but, like the slight plot and nostalgic tone, they will likely resonate more strongly with adults of a certain age than with children. Appended information, including the story of an impromptu performance for then-President Bill Clinton, reinforces this impression. (Graphic memoir. 7-9)