A review by backonthealex
Listen: How Pete Seeger Got America Singing by Leda Schubert
4.0
I was introduced to Pete Seeger by my Welsh father, who loved American folk music, and I've never stopped listening to him. In her biography of this great American folk singer and activist, Leda Schubert really captures the commitment Pete Seeger had to his music, his fan, and his political beliefs. She deftly shows that while the country was willing to participate by singing along with him, and the two musical groups he was a member of (the Almanacs and the Weavers), it was his politics that got him in trouble with the House Un-American Activities Committee, who questioned whether or not he was a true American (which made me wonder if they had ever listened to the words of "This Land is Your Land"). Pete was indicted and blacklisted by the committee, and work really dried up for him for four years before his conviction was overturned. Pete went right back to singing and activism, joining the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to fight racism, and later, protesting the Vietnam Wars, and always emphasizing the importance of people's participation. Woven into Pete Seeger's life story are the names of the songs he wrote at each juncture, songs were have been singing ever since in school, in camp, and inside our heads after hearing them played somewhere, which I consider a testament to their appeal.
Schubert includes one of Pete's passions that many people don't know much about and that was his love for the Hudson River and his efforts to clean up the pollutions caused by years of chemical waster dumping in it. Now, anyone who has recently driven over the Tappen Zee Bridge or the Bear Mountain Bridge can readily see how his efforts have paid off.
Raúl Colón's soft, textured watercolor and colored pencil illustrations really capture the spirit of Pete Seeger's beliefs and music, and the power they held for his audiences wherever he played. Schubert writes that Pete "cared about justice, peace, equality, and people everywhere" and what could be more inspiring for young readers, especially in today's world.
Back matter includes an Author's Note, a Timeline of Pete's life, Endnotes, a Selected Bibliography, a list of books Pete wrote for children, and recommended recordings. Sadly, my dad's old crackly Pete Seeger 78 RPM records didn't survive they were played so much, but that's OK, I know all the words by heart and have passed them on to my Kiddo and my young readers.
Schubert includes one of Pete's passions that many people don't know much about and that was his love for the Hudson River and his efforts to clean up the pollutions caused by years of chemical waster dumping in it. Now, anyone who has recently driven over the Tappen Zee Bridge or the Bear Mountain Bridge can readily see how his efforts have paid off.
Raúl Colón's soft, textured watercolor and colored pencil illustrations really capture the spirit of Pete Seeger's beliefs and music, and the power they held for his audiences wherever he played. Schubert writes that Pete "cared about justice, peace, equality, and people everywhere" and what could be more inspiring for young readers, especially in today's world.
Back matter includes an Author's Note, a Timeline of Pete's life, Endnotes, a Selected Bibliography, a list of books Pete wrote for children, and recommended recordings. Sadly, my dad's old crackly Pete Seeger 78 RPM records didn't survive they were played so much, but that's OK, I know all the words by heart and have passed them on to my Kiddo and my young readers.