Mama Got Rhythm Daddy Got Rhyme

BY: Karissa Stiltner
Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme by Robin M. Wilson presents an education of classical jazz music in a fictional family story format. Wilson first introduces Mama and Daddy Rimes, a loving couple who enjoy their “old school” music, more specifically, Jazz and Blues. Their daughter, Jasmine, didn’t understand nor enjoy her parents’ taste in music. She found it outdated and too different from her R&B tunes. So, seeking the opportunity to teach, Mama and Daddy Rimes took their daughter to the Jazz Hall of Fame. Here, the girl was able to learn about pivotal artists who changed the course of music throughout the years.
Robin M. Wilson takes the reader through years of history in the early 1900s, allowing the characters to paint a picture of musicians who are relatable and alike to Jasmine’s parents in their passion for music. This book is written in a way that bits of biographic history feel refreshing to hear, as you can watch a little girl grow more and more excited to learn about these backgrounds, cultivated by all of the new knowledge and culture she MAMA GOT RHYTHM has been exposed to. For Jasmine, and the reader, learning about the narratives of said musicians leaves her able to enjoy the music better. Watching this character learn about the history of music and grow to appreciate it for herself sets this book apart from reading a typical biography. It brings the artists to life and is transparent in how much music can influence listeners in all different ways.
A few words that would describe the mood readers grasp when reading Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme are: sentimental, colorful, and nostalgic. These feelings are extensively articulated by the book’s unique style of illustration. Perfectly complementing the books’ overall feel, these drawings are both classy and colorful, almost as if you are able to hear the music as a soundtrack. Likewise, to how children see the world through rose-colored glasses, this book is full of color and movement. To put it quite plainly, these illustrations don’t fall short of feeling like you stepped inside the artist’s imagination.
The celebration of these different sorts of jazz musicians feels more like a celebration of the music itself, as Mama and Daddy Rimes point out the individual strengths and signatures each artist is known for. Jasmine even connects the dots from “old-school jazz” to the modern R&B she fancies now. The main reason why music is something people hold so near and dear to their hearts is because of the way it makes them feel; connected. Wilson did an exceptional job of painting a dynamic character, a young girl who was ignorant that her musical taste had such a relation to that of her parents. Jasmine, with help from her parents, discovered a passion for a genre of music that she had once ignored as a whole. Mama Got Rhythm, Daddy Got Rhyme offers an essential representation of how divulging into your history gives it a great deal of meaning!
Karissa Stiltner is a writer with a passion to write important messages and expedite those who write them. She is an oldest daughter, who keeps her time occupied by reading, writing, and all things outdoors

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