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[CCBC-Net] Chris Raschka Redux
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From: Perry Shapiro <jodyshapiro>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 06:52:49 +1000
Hello..I am so blown away by your descriptions of a Chris Raschka day in your classroom as I too find him utterly amazing. We had him to our bookstore several years ago when Arlene Sardine appeared. It was a fantastic visit and we loved and hand sold Arlene to anyone we knew who had a modicum of humor about them.
In my Summer Newsletter I wrote:
"To be perfectly upfront about Chris Rashka's "John Coltrane's Giant Steps" we are not sure whom this book is really for...only we love it. So maybe it's the way he gets you to understand Coltrane's music by using a cast of characters he's created to explain sound, technique and tempo. There are raindrops, a box, a kitten and a snowflake. They move across the pages in wht way Coltrane's music moves across your mind. Riandrops begin with a nice medium tempo and then Box, the bass sound, is overlaid. Snowflake appears, representing the piano - blending the harmony. then enters Cat, on top of it all, the melody. The players get out of control (Raschka's art gets scribbly, the elements he combines become less distinct, muddier.) and the unseen conductor stops them, asks them to think about ow Coltrane played his saxophone - "strong and vivid" "relaxed...as if he made time bigger." color rich "not muddy." They begin again. Bravo! It works. We understand more and we appreciate more, and with Rashchka's help we can enrich the lives of our kids more. It's brilliant. So tell us who else on your list is going to get a copy besides you? And bring out your old Coltrane albums."
There after I read your descriptive and inspiring account I feel absolutely vindicated that I promoted that book so enthusiastically. It is our responsibility as grown-ups to introduce authors like the very gifted Raschka to the children in our lives and the grownups too for that matter. I have given Mysterious Thelonius to many adults as a gift.
He is a true genius like many of our children's writers and they are so often overlooked by the "adult" literary world. So we better keep up our end as advocates of great children's books.
Jody Shapiro (Adventures for Kids, Ventura California)
Received on Sun 20 Oct 2002 03:52:49 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 06:52:49 +1000
Hello..I am so blown away by your descriptions of a Chris Raschka day in your classroom as I too find him utterly amazing. We had him to our bookstore several years ago when Arlene Sardine appeared. It was a fantastic visit and we loved and hand sold Arlene to anyone we knew who had a modicum of humor about them.
In my Summer Newsletter I wrote:
"To be perfectly upfront about Chris Rashka's "John Coltrane's Giant Steps" we are not sure whom this book is really for...only we love it. So maybe it's the way he gets you to understand Coltrane's music by using a cast of characters he's created to explain sound, technique and tempo. There are raindrops, a box, a kitten and a snowflake. They move across the pages in wht way Coltrane's music moves across your mind. Riandrops begin with a nice medium tempo and then Box, the bass sound, is overlaid. Snowflake appears, representing the piano - blending the harmony. then enters Cat, on top of it all, the melody. The players get out of control (Raschka's art gets scribbly, the elements he combines become less distinct, muddier.) and the unseen conductor stops them, asks them to think about ow Coltrane played his saxophone - "strong and vivid" "relaxed...as if he made time bigger." color rich "not muddy." They begin again. Bravo! It works. We understand more and we appreciate more, and with Rashchka's help we can enrich the lives of our kids more. It's brilliant. So tell us who else on your list is going to get a copy besides you? And bring out your old Coltrane albums."
There after I read your descriptive and inspiring account I feel absolutely vindicated that I promoted that book so enthusiastically. It is our responsibility as grown-ups to introduce authors like the very gifted Raschka to the children in our lives and the grownups too for that matter. I have given Mysterious Thelonius to many adults as a gift.
He is a true genius like many of our children's writers and they are so often overlooked by the "adult" literary world. So we better keep up our end as advocates of great children's books.
Jody Shapiro (Adventures for Kids, Ventura California)
Received on Sun 20 Oct 2002 03:52:49 PM CDT
