Music Books

Very interesting book with many information regarding old musicians. The CD inside is very pleasure with good quality sound.

Knowing the prices that Robert Crumb's work commands (try getting hold of a copy of his illustrated CD "That's What I Call Sweet Music" and you'll see what I mean), when I first saw this advertised I thought that the price must have been entered incorrectly, but no! Just imagine, a 240 page hardback book, illustrated in colour on high quality paper, with an accompanying 21-track CD, for less than you'd expect to pay for either on its own. The book (and CD), falls into three distinct parts, and three different techniques have been used to produce the illustrations.

I'm familiar with the jazz figures, and my comments therefore concentrate on that aspect. The first is that some of these choices are extremely idiosyncratic. Many (Beiderbecke, Armstrong, Morton) are almost obligatory, but scattered amongst them are some quite obscure figures, such as Junie C. Cobb, Roy Palmer, and Ikey Robinson. Fair enough, these are after all Mr. Crumb's heroes, but the accompanying commentary is far too brief and could with advantage have been expanded to fill the space available. Finally, whilst many of the portraits (all of which are based on photographs) are instantly recognisable a few have the look of caricature about them. All of which is to look a gift horse in the mouth, and I would disregard all of those reservations and buy it anyway if I hadn't done so already.

You really can't go wrong here...$13 or $14 for a book with wonderful artwork and brief history lessons and a companion CD with some truly timeless music.

Not a general fan of the genre, but I actually found the country music included on the CD to be the most interesting. But really every song is special.

A must have for any Crumb or roots music fan.

In 20/20 hindsight (or hindsound?) I bought the book intending to learn about music. Taken purely as an introduction to three genres of early American music, the book is a success. The pictures (and introduction to R. Crumb the artist) were a huge bonus. Wow! The CD with it completes the trifecta.

This is a fantastic introduction to multiple artistic elements - perhaps a few that will catch the reader/viewer/listener off guard. Enjoy!

Richard Nevins of Rounder Records first came up with the idea for Robert Crumb to illustrate a series of early Blues, Jazz, and Old Time Music and Bluegrass greats along the lines of the baseball cards of his childhood. Crumb went for the idea and produced what became three boxes of cards with illustrations taken from old photos on the front and write-ups about the players on the back (many of them by Nevins).

Now the famous fine arts publisher Abrams Books has designed and published a superb volume that includes the Crumb artwork as never before -- in brilliant color and on a larger scale than the cards -- along with expanded bios and a bonus CD that samples some of this great American roots music. Anyone interested in high-level cartoon art and this powerful expressive music will want to own this book.

Etta James has lived a wild life, and she lays it out unvarnished in Rage to Survive. Plenty of detail about what the music scene was like during her formative years, and she pulls no punches when discussing her bad habits and mistakes. Refreshingly straight forward and entertaining. I highly recommend reading this.

I, Tina; Don't Block the Blessings by Patti LaBelle, Bobby Womack, Pryor Convictions (Richard Pryor), Super Freak (Rick James) and The Etta James Story have been some of the most TELLING books that I have EVER had the pleasure of reading.

I personally prefer when an artist joins with their OWN writer and composes their OWN story, instead of waiting for someone else to do it, only to wind up in court desperately trying to refute the ill-refuted claims gathered by 2nd, 3rd and 4th-hand witnesses to something they heard told to their 3rd cousin twice removed.

I agree with Etta, your only TRUE judge in this ball of confusion is God, so why should you apologize to anyone else? Why not put it out there for everyone to finally snicker, whisper and gossip about, and then ultimately get over?

This book is only a grave reminder to everyone who has always looked to "Holly-WEIRD'S" version of a "hero", that perhaps it would be best to look a little closer to home.

Celebrities are only humans, too. Try looking up to the everyday, ordinary people that you see delivering your mail daily, pulling over drunk drivers, extinguishing fires, teaching your children, preaching to your families and saving your loved ones~~instead of people who can never vote (because they're felons), don't own property or their own vehicles, and are barely able to do a better job than YOU at child-rearing!

the book is great to read it came in very good condition not dirty or torn or bent.

With odds stacked against her in every direction - including personal resistance to success - Etta manages to not only survive, but thrive & inspire!
Stories of the early days of motown, touring, & musician swapping is exciting and nearly incestuous (so many huge names in music ran the same circuits, competing for musicians, songs, gigs & label attention).

The title of this book, Rage to Survive, is very well chosen, hinting is at does to the French phrase "rage de vivre," rage to live.

I grew up with Motown, Aretha, and Otis Redding, but never heard of Etta James until I was over 50! The singer I know only thanks to YouTube, but what I heard there was so talented it's almost scary: soul and blues, sure, but also country and jazz. I suspect that her drug addiction in the late 50s and early 60s led the publicity industry to shun her. (It was only starting in 1968 that one could do drugs and not get the silent treatment.) I know that this is an "as told to" book, but how many soul musicians have bothered to write any kind of memoir? This book deserves to become a classic of its kind.

Amy Weinhaus sounds fresh and interesting only because Etta James is so little known. Weinhaus's career may be over, and she probably won't live to see 30. James is 71. If I am right, Weinhaus will never have a child. James performs with her sons. Etta, you are one tough momma...

Michael Troyan has a gift for biography. I hope he can collaborate with Turner Classic Movies to produce a video on the life of Greer Garson.
This book makes me wish I could have known Greer Garson. She loved and respected her mother, she loved her husband, she loved children and orphans and the disabled and disadvantaged. She loved her dogs, ranching in New Mexico, history, and she loved Texas...makes me love her even though I never met her. Good job, Mr. Troyan.

Michael Troyan has done a wonderful job of putting together an informative and enjoyable biography on a fascinating subject. In fact, I found the book so delightful as to find it to be one of the best biographies I've ever read.

While there is no doubt that the charming personality of Greer Garson herself that radiates throughout the book has helped in the formation of my favorable opinion, I give much-deserved kudos to Mr. Troyan for being able to present his subject to the audience in such a friendly manner. By that I mean that throughout the pages, I could feel the presence of Greer Garson, and after having finished the book, felt as if I had just finished reading a letter from a long-time friend.

The first half of the book, which deals with Greer's childhood, life in Britain as a stage actress, and the later move to Hollywood, is generally a smooth and easy read. The toll of the grinding studio system and the competition involved for the popular actresses of the time are keenly felt and one can get a very good idea of the kind of position the actress was in at the time. Eventually though, talent perseveres and success follows. Detailed and interesting accounts of each of Greer's films are available and are a joy to read.

The latter half of the book is a particularly refreshing read because of the relatively vast amount of information about Greer's later life outside of Hollywood. Personally, I had not previously been aware of her various activities and hobbies and learned a great deal more about Greer Garson than when I first started out. A sign of a good biography is new information, and this one certainly has its fair share.

Now, all other traits aside, the most notable accomplishment of this work is that it does not read as a stiff, dull and fact-driven thesis paper, which is a pitfall that so many biographies of this kind can fall into. Rather, it is an intimate yet respectfully distant portrait of a lovely human being who was also a remarkable artist in her own right.

This book on Greer Garson I highly recommend. It's very balances and tells of the good and bad times in her life about her career andher fmaily. Though i must admit I wished it had mentioned more about her interests and personal life off screem. But overall it's really well written and interesting book about alovely screen actress. Greer Garson really had class
and a wnderful grace about her in all of her films

Modern actors and actresses don't seem to have the charisma, style and elegance of yesteryear's stars. Maybe that's because most of today's actors are really nothing but pitiful celebrities striving to be what once was, when Hollywood was golden.

I long for yesterday when it comes to film stars: Betty Davis, Myrna Loy, Katherine Hepburn Ginger Rogers, and so many more. Oh, yes, and that includes Greer Garson. The beautiful and talented woman we thought was born in Ireland in 1908, was really born in London in 1904.

Author Michael Troyan delves into Greer Garson's life, as much as anyone could, given that she was an extremely private woman. He carries you through her intense desire to succeed as an actress, her `discovery' and career struggles to resist being typecast, all the way through her marriages, and to her death on April 5, 1996 at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital with Van Cliburn at her bedside.

I'd always thought of Ms. Garson as a brilliant actress who could get any part she wanted. I had no idea of her struggles with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. One of my favorite films is the record-breaking "Mrs. Miniver." I get chills thinking about her Academy Award-winning performance.

And while it felt a bit like voyeurism looking in on her life, I'm glad I visited it through Troyan's eyes. It was a satisfying trip. And the author did a marvelous job showing us a small part of the woman who was Greer Garson.

For a compelling look at one of the best actresses to ever grace the stage, big or small screen, read A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a wonderful slice of our American film history.

An excellent read if you're into details. For me, the details got a little overwhelming, but I so much wanted to learn more about this actress that I admire greatly. Sadly, as the author himself stated, it was difficult to write a biography because Greer Garson was a very private person and did not give many interviews or express many personal opinions in public. However, he richly details her movies, her public service, and others' opinions of her (and a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold). I have always enjoyed watching her many films and am tracking down as many of them as I can on DVD so this made for a fine addition to my collection of her work. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and loves any of her many films.

Tarkovsky's 'Sculpting in Time' offers a fascinating glimpse into this master's theoretical and poetic approach to his craft. Reading it alongside with 'Time Within Time', his diaries collected, the text casts a new light upon the work and mind of this artist of truth and sacrifice - A true must for art lovers worldwide.

If you want to find out how to make a movie, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you're one of those who believe in the transcendental power of movies to reflect on humankind, to change it, this might be the single most powerful book on aesthetics ever written by a filmmaker you'll ever find. I say "aesthetics" because he's talking about art, in general, and not only about films. It's sad, but Tarkovsky might have been expecting a longer life, maybe another couple movies when he put this book together, but he died just afterwards.

I was introduced to Tarkovsky's work about 20 years ago during my time in film school, and The Sacrifice was the movie that turned me on to his outstanding cinematic legacy. The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn about the artist. Then I came upon Sculpting In Time; a cinematic memoir which has forever changed my life, and my artistic visions.

This book is nothing short of inspirational. I highly recommend it even if you are not familiar with Tarkovsky's work. Each chapter is loving written, eloquently detailed and profoundly insightful on topics such as the importance of sound, story and visual aesthetics in filmmaking. Tarkovsky's ability to, quite literally, sculpt cinematic moments in time in each of his films is nothing short of genius.

Thames & Hudson have triumphed with what collectors might regard as a limited edition, artist's book.This isn't the place to start chipping into Tarkovsky. It is more the devotee's piece - a touchstone which alludes to the magnificent ediface of his films: all which return the viewer to their world with a deeper, more spacious vision, an expanded present moment. In 'Rubelov','Solaris', 'Stalker', and,'Sacrifice', to name my favourites, he re-invented the epic with sustained inquiries into our transience without heady verbalism or vanity. To grapple with his own thinking about his achievements and how he positioned himself as an artist, one should seek out,'Sculpting In Time,'penned towards the end of his relatively short life. Recently, French documentary-maker, Chris Marker('Sunless') compiled a stunning homage to this Russian cinematic master. Bits of Tarkovsky's aforementioned book, and excerpts from his diaries appear with the reproduced polaroid snaps(the present book's theme)which fall into two geographic zones, Italy & Russia and are bookended with short tributes by two Italian friends. Every effort has been made in layout to convey the darkened atmosphere in which the illuminated materiality of these world's float to the viewer's eye. And in images barely larger than matchboxes this scale has some of the hallucinatory power of his movies. The layout & medium insist on episodic, fragmentary framing. Tarkovsky's films privilege the same exquisite framing with a sensual appetite for textures above narratives that makes us feel newly arrived at a primary experiencing of the world. These polaroids could have served as his flexing towards film projects: even their outtakes.

"Sculpting in Time" is truly an amazing work of art in its own right. Certainly filmmakers have written books about their artistic styles in the past. Philosophers have written elaborately on the subject of aesthetics as a whole in the past as well. And yet "Sculpting in Time" offers those with aesthetic interests something truly unique.

It should be forewarned that Tarkovsky, like Ingmar Bergman, was heavily interested in aesthetic philosophy. In fact Tarkovsky's ideas regarding art borderline the metaphysical (as this book is often used in higher level philosophy classes), and yet - through the tone in which the book is written - "Sculpting in Time" manages to appeal to the average Tarkovsky or cinema studies fan in such a way that no other aesthetics book has managed.

Tarkovsky's self-written "Sculpting in Time" is an amazing supplement which describes the brilliant filmmaker's use of filmic techniques but also goes a step further by explaining (at great length), why the filmmaker believes those techniques are significant. The value of his tried efforts to create a meaningful work of art directly relate to Tarkovsky's view of art as a whole.

Tarkovsky's views of art are complex and yet are reiterated for the reader so simply they stand out in "Sculpting in Time" like a gem. For instance the underlying theme in Tarkovsky's writing is the idea of an "absolute truth" of art which can be derived a given piece of art. Without giving too much away, Tarkovsky's beliefs, as expressed in his chapter "Imprinted in Time" mostly, is simply that art done for the right reasons - containing some form of objective truth within it - serves to link us (subjective beings), with an "absolute." From that blooms Tarkovsky's entire creative aspect fans of his films know and love him for.

I have to recommend this book to anyone interested in aesthetics, cinema studies, or Tarkovsky. I think this is a nice supplement to have when watching Tarkovsky films as well, so it might just serve to spark the interest in a philosophy buff to check out a few Tarkovsky films! Enjoy!

The Transformers Identification and Price Guide by Mark Bellomo is the greatest for the Transformers, More then Meets the Eye show every action figure created from Gen 1 and more. I have not seen a more detailed Transformers toy book with strenght, weakness, and more in one complete book. I recommend this book if you are Transformers More then Meets the Eye fan.

This is the best Action Figure guide I have ever seen. It is very informative and very accurate, the author even adds his personal take on most of the figures. And talk about bringing back old memories. I actually bought this book for nostalgic purposes and was very pleased. It was nice seeing all the old Transformers from the 80's in one piece. Makes me wish I knew what happened to all my old ones, man I'd be rich if I would have taken better care of them. Hope Mark Bellomo does a guide book for the rest of the Transformers. If you are looking for the ultimate 80's Transformers Action Figure guide, this is it!

I had heard good things about this author, and this guide, from reviews at other Transformer sites, so I bought it (it was also being sold for half price at amazon.com when I bought it). It was well worth every penny! It is very thorough and gives great details on each type of Transformer and each of the "lines of Transformers" that were made up to 1990. Each Transformer is also given approximate prices for what they are worth as well. Granted, the prices will change over time, but this guide will still be a worthy identification reference for a very long time.
I would have given it a 5, but there were quite a few grammatical errors in the book, but it won't affect your ability to understand the information.
My favorite part of the book is that the author appears to have had fun writing it, but takes it seriously enough to make it a very thorough reference guide. A must have for any Transformer fan, from beginner to expert!

This is a great book about the 80's transformers toy line. It has plenty of info on many transformers like their favorite motto to stats. If you are fan and/or collector this book is a must!!!

This is great reference guide. It shows all the Generation 1 Transformers (84-90). It shows all the pieces and a bio of each character. It also shows the value.
As kid I had over 50 of the originals and they are worth a ton of money. I use this book as a guide to purchasing used transformers at Ebay.
I wish he would come out of with with a volume 2 (92-07) which would show all the generation 2, Beastwars, Alternators, Universe,Cybertron, 07 movie, and classics. Which I think are better than generation 1.
Awsome book. I reconmend this book to all collectors.
Also check out the G.I Joe guide.

This is THE best scrapbook in the wooooooooorld!!! What can I say??!! I'm obsessed!!! Along with the two albums this is wicked...JUST BUY IT AND DROOL OVER NOAH aka CHAD!!!... R.I.P Michael Cuccione xXx

This is the ultimate book for the ultimate 2GE+HER fan! Although I got a book that only had 92 pages - and I think I'm missing the last 4 pages of the book because it suddenly ends. But anyways, this book is hilarious and is filled with various trivia about the guys! QT can't write, Jerry was born without a jaw, Mickey wasn't always a gangster, Chad's blue eyes hypnotize, and Doug wears a balding toupee! A book that's definitley worth your money.

I love this book but the person that I bought it from ripped me off. I am totally pissed about this. Someone took out 4 pages so now I have 92 pages. I was supposed to have 96! Damn con artist. I still love 2gether though but I need to know what I'm missing in those 4 pages.

2Gether is the best musical grop and will always be the best, there cd's are funny, and good, whenever I have a bad day I put in one of there albums and it makes me feel better. The guys of 2Gether are talented, cute, sweet, and adorable. Noah is my favorite member and he sings beautifully and I love him with all my heart. I would like to say R.I.P. to Michael Cuccione, he was a brave kid until the end, he's a great singer, actor, and he is defintly a role model to all people. I will always love you.

This is one of my favorite books! I do enjoy "real" literature, novels, and that sort of thing -- don't get me wrong. I just think that this is written very well and it's extremely hilarious. You find out stuff about these guys that you've never known before. For example, did you know QT really couldn't write? He signs his name with an X! Never before seen pictures of all the guys (ever wonder what Doug's high school yearbook pic looked like?) are included, too. A little bit of old skool Whoa! is in here as well. If you ever watched 2Gether, this is a great book to have! Besides, it's cheap enough. Give it a shot. Or else Chad will cry.

Horrible book, because it deals with a horrible "band" which is fooling millions of people around the globe...

IT IS AN INTERESTING BOOK, AN IT IS VERY CHEAP.
I COULD READ ALL THE BIOGRAPHY ABOUT MY FAVORITE GROUP AND I THINK THAT I FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM.
THE BEST PHOTOGRAPH IS WHERE THEY ARE TOGETHER IN A CONCERT.
THEY ARE VERY GOOD-LOOKING

i love the pic's in this book, when i read this book it told me some thing i didn't know, but some parts iretate me cause i know they are wrong,but i think i was well written it made me laugh many times,i love most the pic's on nick, as i have all the books on bsb i find this one of the best i have!!!!!!!!! it's a must!!!!!!!!!!

I LIKE THIS BOOK CAUSE THE PICTURES INSIDE IT LOOK SO GOOD ESPECIALLY AJ MCLEAN AND HOWIE D AND THOSE ARE MY FAVORITES IN THE GROUP AND I ALSO LIKE BRIANL.BECAUSE HE IS SO FINE AND THE BOYS GOT IT GOING ON ALL THE TIME.

It was great! I love the Backstreet Boys (especially Brian) and I loved this book. It had great info on each of the guys, good stuff about how they got together, and really hot pictures. If you love the Backstreet Boys, get this book!

New Orleans resident and Beatles expert Bruce Spizer gave the literary world an instant classic when he published his very first book about the American-released records from The Beatles with "The Beatles On Vee-Jay". He followed this with 2 books about "The Beatles' Story On Capitol Records". This time, he has come through again with "The Beatles On Apple Records". This outstanding book features a wealth of great information pertaining to The Beatles' Apple releases. As with the others books in this series, Mr. Spizer is truly a qualified expert when it comes to writing about The Beatles. There are illustrations shown in original black-and-white or full color. The text provided within these pages is nothing short of astonishing. This man has really done his homework in preperation for this publication. There is a great chapter on "The White Album"; likewise for "Abbey Road" and the "Anthology" series. The book concludes with "Beatles 1", which was released in November 2000. Mr. Spizer would carry on the Apple legacy in his next book, "The Beatles Solo On Apple Records" which turned out to be the very best book in the entire series!

The Beatles on Apple RecordsThis is more a piece of art than a book. Meticulously researched and beautifully presented on glossy paper this documents those amazing years for the Beatles on Apple.

John Lennon likened Apple to a spinning top that you set spinning and see where it goes. Apple records had some successes and no one could argue with the quality of the Beatles music on Apple. Take this one home, put on the white album and enjoy.

Another great book by Spizer! If you're a collector here's the info you
need. If you're a fan of detail go no further! and it's pure eye candy
as well!!

Amazing book, massive amounts of information on all of the band's Apple releases (from Hey Jude on). This is for the HARDCORE collector, with info on label copy, different pressings, etc. You can skip through a lot of that if it doesn't matter to you, but there's a ton of great info in here. After I bought this one and read through it I had to buy Spizer's other Beatles books. Good lord they're heavy... And absolutely necessary.

I love this book. I met Bruce twice. hes very insightful and knows what hes talking about. Fabulous book, if you want a real deep education in the later 60's beatles albums and conflicts. Once, i thaught i would sit and read it for 5 minutes and i was so caught up in the book, an hour had passed by, didn't even know it. great book. get this!!!

This is an excellent book for learning how to play the blues. It includes music theory and clear explanations of various styles. The accompanying CD is very helpful and ends with 7 full songs in differing styles.

If you are on a budget and don't have a lot of free time, but still want to sit down at a party or open mike and wail the blues, this is the book for you. In chapter 2 you get 20 or so authentic left hand patterns. In chapter 3 you learn a variety of chords from basic triads to sharped fifths and ninths with various timing tricks for comping. And you play those over the left hand patterns you learned in chapter 2. In chapter 4 Harrison introduces the grace note technique and takes it thru Dr. John's "famous lick". That's 90% of what you need to play convincing blues. The key is that Harrison keeps everything in two measure units that you can easily combine. You aren't confronted with a 4 bar melody as in some other books, wondering, "Why am I playing this?" This book dosen't cover everything, but if you learn to play the exercises in this book you will sound good. If you have a few extra bucks, buy Tim Richard's book for a complementary approach.

I have not had lessons but have been "fooling around" on the piano for years. I wanted to get a better dose of theory under my belt and have the ability to play things differently, and perhaps become good enough to play with other people! This book started out basic enough for me and it goes well beyond my current capabilities. This is exactly what I was looking for: a stepwise and slow progression through major scales, pentatonic, blues and mixolydian scales. I had heard of these things, but NOW I understand them. The CD also helps as you play along. I can recommend this book to anyone who is starting out in blues style piano. With this book the only thing standing between me and great blues is a lot of practice! But now I have a good pace and direction, and with that the practicing will be a lot more efficient than it has been.

This is a great step by step introduction to blues riffs, chords and solos. I only have two complaints: firstly, it is somewhat inconsistent in the ability level that it targets. It assumes that you can sight read well, transpose into other keys, work out complicated fingering yourself etc, yet it also spends a lot of time on very simple scales and chords. A beginner will be confused a lot of the time, a good pianist trained in other styles will find much of it boring, and someone in between (like me) will alternate between the two states. Secondly, the CD is annoying in that there are so many tracks - 88 if I remember rightly. Every short exercise, even only a few seconds, has its own track, and many have both slow and fast versions.

If you are a beginner, you will need a more comprehensive book (not necessarily blues specific) to help you along. If you are a bit better than that, I would suggest using the book in reverse order. Listen to the full length songs at the end and learn the ones you like. Then work backwards to figure out the building blocks and how to use them yourself.

I'm a blues guitarist and I'm in the early stages of learning to play piano, so I can't give the most credible of reviews of this book yet, but I can tell you that it's chock-full of really, really, REALLY excellent comps and vamps and licks. So far I'm only able to work on the simplest of the stuff early in the book, but I've listened to the CD the whole way through, and it's just one example after another after another of killer riffs, the kind of stuff that makes me think, "YES...that is what I want to be able to play." In all kinds of blues styles.

This is definitely *not* a beginner book. As I said, most of it is still way beyond me. It's not a "here's what the half-rest looks like" kind of book, nor will you find guides for fingering. One of the first signs that told me that this book is still over my head is that it shows chords like, say, a 9th chord, with all five notes shown, in a key where it appears to me that there's no possible way one hand can hit all of those notes. Does the experienced player just hit a broken chord? Is it supposed to be a two-handed chord, even though it's shown in the bass clef, and there are also notes in the treble clef? I don't know.

So this is a book for people who already have some piano playing ability. But the material is terrific, and there's a ton of it. If I can ever learn to play all, or even half, of the stuff in this book, I'll be a happy man.

Finally, a book about two dynamic Latino girl characters. The determination of Chavi, against all odds, to play the congas in the Little Havana Calle Ocho Festival will have you rooting for her. You can practically feel, smell and touch everything in her barrio; this is due to the vibrant, lively writing and the wild colorful artwork. Your kids will love Chavi and view her as a little barrio heroine.

Mayra Dole's character, Chavi, is a touching, vibrant, young female character you will want to introduce to your children. In fact, Chavi is so "touching" that she can't keep her hands from tap-tap-tapping everything that she comes in contact with. Chavi is a drummer in a culture where girls are not supposed to drum. Despite the strong forces trying to stop her, Chavi perseveres and lives out her dream. This book will give you a taste of Miami and its unique blends of cultures. Beautifully illustrated and written in both Spanish and English, this is a story that will most certainly...touch you.

Rhythmic as a conga beat. Highly entertaining, motivates critical thinking, strong/fun girl characters, jam-packed with Cuban culture, and my 2nd grade class loves it! 10 stars! A++

Cuban-American Chavi has such character and spunk. Your children will fall in love with her conga sounds/passion for perseverance/spunky attitude/and the cartoon-like, wild illustrations. A must buy for anyone interested in exposing children to ethnic cultures set in US communities/barrios and Spanish & English language.

A wildly creative/artistic romp through Cuban Miami's Calle Ocho festival in Little Havana. Feisty, strong Cubanita tumbadora player's drum sounds leap off the pages. Your children (and you)will fall in love with Chavi and want to start speaking Spanish, drumming, and dancing merengue! Tender, heart-felt bilingual story (written in Spanish and English) about a drummer girl who shows the world that unlike what her teacher, family and barrio friends think, Cuban girls CAN and SHOULD be able to play tumbadoras!

A must buy for kids who love fun stories that inspires them to think critically, create, and perform. For Latino/Cuban book collectors, parents who want to teach their children Spanish or English, libraries, teachers of ESL, music teachers, performance art teachers, and for anyone interested in Latino cultures, particularly the Miami Cuban working-class culture.

FUNTASTIC!