• Blue Grass Boy: The Story of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass Music

    Blue Grass Boy: The Story of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass Music

    Honesdale, Penn. — Calkins Creek, publishers of children's books has announced a March 6, 2018 release for Blue Grass Boy: The Story of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass Music.

    In hardcover, 40 pages, the book targets readers in grades 4-7 and ages 9-12 years old. The book was written by award-winning author Barb Rosenstock and acclaimed illustrator Edwin Fotheringham.

    From the publisher: "Here is the first picture book to explore the life of Bill Monroe, the founding artist of the American root music known as bluegrass. Even though Bill Monroe’s eyes didn’t work right, his ears worked overtime, hearing all sorts of sounds near his treasured Kentucky home. Despite hard times, Bill held the echoes of the hills and hollows close and learned to play them on a mandolin. When he moved to Chicago, he heard whistles, be-bop, and big bands. But when Bill discovered the banjo, the perfect instrument to bring all those sounds together, his band, the Blue Grass Boys, took off. Accompanied by bold, reminiscent illustrations, Bill Monroe’s tale of one artist’s desire to share cadences of his boyhood in a way that changed popular music forever is beautifully brought to life. Includes a bibliography, timeline, archival images, research notes, and the lyrics to Monroe’s masterpiece "Uncle Pen."

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