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

Rosenstock tells the story of bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, who found refuge from a sometimes painful childhood—he lost both of his parents and was ridiculed for having crossed eyes—through music. She describes the influences that Monroe would come to integrate into his music, including the blues, which he first hears from musician Arnold Shultz. Forming the Blue Grass Boys band and taking up the banjo, Monroe eventually finds a distinctive style, and Fotheringham’s high-energy digital art shows Monroe’s development from unhappy boy to confident performer with his band: “The music plowed through the radio, touching city folks missing the hills and hill folks left in the hollows.” As Monroe hits his musical stride, the spreads fill with inky blue, like a moonlit Kentucky night. Ages 9–12. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Mar.)