King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin

by Stephen Costanza, Stephen Costanza (Illustrator)

Overview

A stunning, rhythmic picture book biography of African American composer Scott Joplin, whose ragtime music paved the way for jazz.

There was something special about Scott Joplin...
This quiet kid could make a piano laugh out loud.

Scott, the son of a man who had been enslaved,
became a king—the King of Ragtime.

This celebration of Scott Joplin, whose ragtime compositions paved the way for jazz, will captivate audiences and put a beat in their step, and the kaleidoscope-like illustrations will draw young readers in again and again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534410367
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 12.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Stephen Costanza has illustrated and written several books for children, including three about music, Mozart Finds a Melody, Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra, and King of Ragtime. He studied music and composition, and for a time played piano professionally, performing both ragtime and classical music. He lives on a small island in Maine. Visit him at StephenCostanza.com.

Stephen Costanza has illustrated and written several books for children, including three about music, Mozart Finds a Melody, Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra, and King of Ragtime. He studied music and composition, and for a time played piano professionally, performing both ragtime and classical music. He lives on a small island in Maine. Visit him at StephenCostanza.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/05/2021

In this pitch-perfect picture book biography of Black ragtime composer Scott Joplin (c. 1867–1917), author-illustrator Costanza regales readers with Joplin’s journey: born the son of a formerly enslaved man in Texas, Joplin served as a pianist in saloons and honky-tonks, eventually penning the “Maple Leaf Rag” and subsequently earning the title “the King of Ragtime Writers.” Costanza establishes an atmospheric, folkloric tone in narration rich with onomatopoeia and figurative language: “He’d patch in a riff from a work song,/ a thread of gospel here, a string of ring shout there—/ sewing together new tunes/ to play for his mother the next day.” Enchanting spreads rendered in gouache, wax pastel, and collage feature expansive patchwork fields and fanciful multicolored skies; fine-lined human figures are delightfully fluid and surrealistic, with Costanza showcasing a deep understanding of color theory. One particularly majestic spread features Joplin, eyes closed, superimposed over an intricate Ferris wheel against a dark sky. “The music went round and round in his head,” the next page reads, depicting a rotation of musicians, instruments, and circus fare. A richly detailed profile fit for a king. Back matter includes an author’s note with further historical contextualization, recommended listening, and a bibliography. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

* "The melodic, flowing text goes beyond Joplin's personal details to paint a picture of what life looked like for African Americans during the Jim Crow era . . . Examples are effortlessly woven into the narrative. . . [Events] come alive through gloriously vibrant, full-page gouache collages that pop off of pages, filled with creative and expressive details . . . this attractive offering makes a great read-aloud.

Starred Review Booklist

★ 2021-06-02
While his father tried to convince young Scott Joplin to work with him on the railroad that provided reliable work for African American men, Scott’s heart answered another call—one that led him to become the “King of Ragtime.”

Scott Joplin was born into a musically talented family in which everyone knew how to play an instrument. However, it was his mother who first recognized her son’s exceptional talent for playing music. She allowed him to tinker on the piano of the White family she worked for. Young Joplin would make up tunes for her to dance and sing to while she worked. To further support his talent, she later traded cleaning services with a different employer in exchange for piano lessons for her son. That early training and Joplin’s dedication helped him land jobs as a piano player in honky-tonks throughout the Mississippi Valley. Later, Joplin made his way to Sedalia, Missouri, where he found work as a piano teacher, went to college to study music, and published his first song, “Maple Leaf Rag.” Writing with a bit of a twang and punctuating the narrative with idioms and onomatopoeia, Costanza delivers a biography as bouncy and colorful as ragtime itself. In the opening spread, a pastoral, hardworking newly freed Black men and women are carving out a life for themselves in Texarkana. The busy scene, with punches of optimistic blue, is full of animation and joy, motifs that repeat throughout each gorgeous spread. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Outstanding. (author's note, discography, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews