Recommended grades K-3. Jan Huling brings us a New Orleans flavored fable with
Ol' Bloo's Boogie Woogie Band and Blues Ensemble ( Peachtree, 2011). Huling gives Grimms'
Musicians of Bremin an American feel. In this picture book, Ol' Bloo, a hard-working Donkey, narrowly escapes death when his owners threaten to "end his misery" after a lifetime of back-breaking service. Instead of sitting by to face his demise, Ol' Bloo makes a run for it, planning on furthering his musical career in New Orleans. Along the way, Ol' Bloo encounters other musically inclined animals with rough stories of their own, and just like Dorothy on her way down the Yellow Brick Road, Ol' Bloo invites these animals to share in his dreams. Illustrations by Henri Sørensen contribute the the folk feel of the story, combining rich oil paintings in warm hues with black sillouhettes of the animals incorporated with the text. The silhouette have the feel of shadow puppets onstage in a children's theater. Ol' Bloo's story offers young readers a glimpse into the mythic South, and the reader can't help but root for his Boogie Woogie Band, though they would surely be ghastly to the human ear.
Recommended, ***
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