My Dad Is a DJ

(Hardback)

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Description

Travis's dad is a DJ, spinning silky jazz tunes at parties all over the neighborhood. The two of them have always enjoyed debating the great question: Which Black music tradition is the best-Travis's boppin' hip-hop or Dad's beloved jazz But Travis's parents have divorced, and Dad lives on his own now. He's only a few miles away, but for Travis, the distance between jazz and hip-hop feels greater than ever. Music doesn't sound the same. Mom says they just need to find a new groove. But how Maybe through a little hip-hoppin', not-stoppin', tunes-boppin' DJing. Based in part on Brown's experience as a single father, this picture book deftly depicts modern divorce in a Black family, and is a heartwarming ode to how music can bring a father and son closer together.

Reviews

"This is a realistic story of a child coming-of-age with an artistic parent who looks back more than forward but who can also still grow. Brown's highly patterned and textured watercolor, ink, and pencil illustrations incorporate collage elements, effectively conveying the tensions between father and son. In this worthwhile father-son story, music is the tie that binds." --Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Keith Henry Brown is an illustrator of many things, including books and jazz albums. He has been the Creative Director at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he continues to write, paint, and draw. keithhbrown.com Kathryn Erskine is the National Book Award-winning author of Mockingbird and Mama Africa, which won the John Steptoe New Talent Award. She also wrote Seeing Red, The Absolute Value of Mike, and The Badger Knight. kathrynerskine.com