Author: Gary Golio
Title: Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow
Illustrator: Javaka Steptoe
Genre: Picture Book
Subgenre: Informational
Theme: Creativity in music
Primary and Secondary Characters: Jimi Hendrix
Awards: Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
Publishing Company: Clarion Books
Date of Publication: 2010
Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:
When Jimi Hendrix was a young boy he began to wonder, can a person paint pictures with sounds. With every turn of the page we learn more about just how creative and talented young Jimi was. The illustrations are done in an abstract kind of view of the world around Jimi. The focus of the page is always on Jimi whom is a faded figure against the vibrant background.
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow is just a wonderful book for any grade.Some of Jimi’s struggles can be shared with students of an older audience to discuss what life was like when Jimi was breaking through as an artist. This would be a fantastic book to read to children in a music class to introduce one of the greatest guitar players of his time. It also is a fun book to use to promote students to follow their dreams. A fun activity for art teachers would be to play a tape of Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar and to have students paint what they feel from listening to the music.
