Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Starred Review The early life of Elvis Presley is presented here in lyrical yet sometimes sharp-edged prose that brings the singer close. This is an Elvis who is a "shy, quiet, dreamy boy . . . tied to his mama's apron strings" poor boy surrounded by music: black gospel, blues, field songs, country, and pop. It was when he got to Memphis as a teen that he took a real hold of the music, and that's when he began to be noticed, especially by girls. Christensen does a particularly good d pithy b of explaining crossover music. Even though radio playlists and church choirs were separated into black and white, some people, like Sam Phillips of Sun Records, wanted to "mix things up." Finally, a new kind of music was born. The vertical two-page spread of Elvis rocking out will grab kids, though some of the art mple collage overlayed with oils s a sketchier look. Be prepared to have some music and perhaps even a video of (the young) Elvis around to see what all the shouting and shaking was about. An author's note delves a little deeper into Elvis' career, and a time line covers events not mentioned in the text, such as Elvis' army career and his death.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)

Gr 2-5 The King may be gone, but this gorgeous picture book biography ensures that he won't be forgotten. With this enchanting and intimate glimpse at a beloved icon, Christensen takes legendary singer Elvis Presley from a child growing up in Mississippi and Tennessee to a young man cutting his first record and taking his first steps into the limelight. The portrait of Presley that emerges will be new to most readers, adult or child. Far from the strutting, hip-swiveling crooner of the stage and big screen, Presley comes across as shy and earnest, a sweetly baby-faced youth. Christensen deftly conveys her subject's vulnerability through softly rendered oil paintings. The inspired choice to use photocollage for the backgrounds imbues the singer's hardscrabble early years with tenderness, suggesting the nostalgia-tinged look of a 1940s postcard. Written in verse, the text is stripped down; refreshingly free of artifice, it's as soulful as one of the many songs the singer performed. The author touches briefly upon Presley's role in introducing R&;B music to white audiences, dropping hints about how music performed by blacks was often dismissed as "race music," but educators may want to provide further context for young readers. Pair this outstanding title with G. Neri's Hello, I'm Johnny Cash (Candlewick, 2014) for an up-close look at the childhoods of two founders of rock and roll. VERDICT An excellent addition to biography collections, and a superb way to introduce the history of rock to a new generation.— Mahnaz Dar , School Library Journal

Horn Book

Evocative free verse follows Elvis chronologically from his humble beginnings to the legendary Sun Records recording studio in Memphis where the young musician got his big break. Christensen wisely focuses on Elvis's childhood and pre-fame years; many young readers will relate to his unwavering focus on music. Photo-collage and mixed-media illustrations have just the right touch of folksiness for the subject. Timeline. Bib.