Robert Andrew Parker (1927–2023)

I liked this book a lot. It was about Art Tatum, a pianist with bad eyesight. Although he could hardly see, he played the piano really well and became well-known for his work and talent. This shows that students can accomplish things even when it seems like it should not be possible. It also shows that just because you cant see well, some not me you cannot accomplish the same things as others. This is probably good for 3rd-4th just to have in yous classroom.

Regardless of whether they’ve heard of jazz or Art Tatum, young readers will appreciate how Parker uses simple, lyrical storytelling to show the world as young Art Tatum might have seen it. Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, but his passion for the piano and his acute memory for any sound that he heard drove him to become a virtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz pianists alike.

The touching story chronicles the life of renowned, blind, jazz pianist Art Tatum. Exquisite watercolor paintings and line drawings convey the mood, imagination, and power of Tatum’s music. Bibliography, Art Tatum and Me, More about Art Tatum.