This was a pleasure to read.
“This was a pleasure for me to read. I can only imagine children's joy from reading about Dana and her family for themselves or hearing this delightful, fun, bright story about a piece of American history as it's read to them. Sharing Dana's newfound joy through her mother's stories. It makes me wish I had attended Club Desire and experienced that wonderful feeling. Music, food, the people, and friendly fun.
-Broy
Happy Music is a Must-Have for Happy Readers!
My daughter and I could not take our eyes off this beautifully illustrated story. We loved learning about the birthplace of jazz music and can’t wait to go back to New Orleans and explore it through the lens of these awesome characters! We just ordered the coloring book too! Ten out of ten author Dana Royster-Buefort!
-Zendi
Happy music
A New Orleans Story
Happy Music, A New Orleans Jazz Story, is an autobiographical story about a 1940s jazz venue in New Orleans, the birthplace of many great Jazz musicians.
After her daughter asks, "Why does that music make you so happy?" Mama shares her real-life memories of music, pictures, and dance styles of the time. This afternoon's exploration of music and dance brings the Jazz Era to life and educates her daughter about the artists and dances of that period, including the Boogie Woogie, Stroll, and more. "Happy Music" also captures the warmth and love of this mother-daughter relationship.
Enjoy Happy Music, A New Orleans Jazz Story, as it transports you to the "Birthplace of Jazz" through the story and music of an important time and place in our history.
D. A. Royster is a native New Yorker, long-time Boston resident, and lover of children. She is an experienced educator, consummate counselor, and world traveler. For more than 40 years, she has touched the hearts and lives of Boston Public School students. Adoptive mother of four and grandmother of five, she has, from an early age, answered the call to work with youth. Her debut children’s book, Adoption Is..., reflects the very powerful and personal experience of adopting a child. With her second publication, Happy Music, A New Orleans Jazz Story, she takes us on a history lesson while on a fun, playful, and entertaining journey of music and dance.
Praise for Happy Music
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Gabs
A Melenated Author
I am so proud to be reading a book written by a melanated Arthur and for our kiddo community. I love the book's presentation, especially with very few books encouraging little brown girls and boys to embrace their culture and love of music. However, my kids were thrilled to listen to the book. I enjoyed every page of the book; it left me wanting more. I’d love to know if the children will discover more about music and their family. I only wish I knew Miss Little Yellow's dress name 😊
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Aaron Casey
A delightful way to honor a (grand)father!
I loved this little tale. The author sketches a mother's love for her own father (her children's grandfather) - who, once upon a time, owned a jazz club that welcomed the likes of Duke Ellington and Ray Charles. We, the lucky readers, are treated to a creative story that honors a (grand)father and his life's work with color, movement, and music. It's lovely to witness how the mom brings her kids along to a growing understanding of New Orleans jazz in all its beauty. The words and illustrations pop off the page!
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Dea
Happy Music is a Joyous Jazz Story
The artwork in "Happy Music" deserves special mention; the expressive character faces and the carefully chosen brown and teal color palette create a warm and inviting atmosphere that perfectly complements the story’s themes of love and nostalgia. it is a celebration of heritage, connection, and the enduring power of music. I highly recommended Happy Music to anyone--young or old--with a "desire" to celebrate the joy of jazz.
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Francine Denise Locker
Memories, Music and Dance Spring to Life
“ Mama held my hand and turned me around really fast, shouting, ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll!” A young girl’s exposure to legendary Black jazz musicians springs to life through her mother’s lived experiences of Club Desire. A typical afternoon of fun for this young girl with her brother and cousin is transformed into sheer joy for Happy Music: A New Orleans Jazz Story through her mother’s first-hand memories, record selections, and period dances. Happy Music: A New Orleans Jazz Story is a solid 5. Enjoy!
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Heidi Grimshaw
What a fun way to discover history!
I loved that this book was built around jazz's history, something not frequently seen in children’s books. This book was inclusive in so many ways, but I especially loved how the main character was bothered by the loud noise at first, but then, with time and the right music, I loved it in the end. This would be a great book for a classroom discussion about noise and how it affects everyone differently. The illustrations were fantastic also and added to the story.
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Unknown
The book took me back to the music I grew up on, the sixties, seventies, and eighties years. Happy Music: A New Orleans Jazz is an incredible story about how a mom can pass down the history of jazz through her loud music by her daughter's ear. We must learn how to appreciate a variety of music and keep the history of our music alive.
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Sunni
I loved reading, Happy Music: A New Orleans Jazz Story, by: D.A. Royster, it was such a sweet memoir of a little ’s discovery about her grandfather‘s club. It brought back memories of stories of my own grandfather, and my girls and I are going to read it again and again. It was especially fun to take a walk-through music history with some of the icons of the era of jazz. It hit home with themes around family and also give us an excuse to listen to some great music while we were reading. Beautiful story!!
