Yellow Dog Blues

October 3, 2022
A Black child named Bo Willie goes to feed his pet, Yellow Dog, and discovers that “My puppy love... was gone” in this picture book introduction to the musical history behind the Delta Blues. On the dog’s tail, Bo Willie heads down the Mississippi Blues Trail, traveling Highway 61, significant for the number of musicians born nearby; visiting Dockery Plantation, where “Muddy Waters played the blues”; and arriving at Blues Club Merigold, “to shimmy, shake, and boogie.” When someone reports a sighting of Yellow Dog with a band, Bo Willie realizes, “Yellow Dog moved to Memphis!... He sings the blues on Beale Street now.” Duncan’s writing is the stuff of bluesy poetry, full of heart in portraying Bo Willie’s love for Yellow Dog and journey through a significant region. Raschka’s illustrations, created from embroidery thread and fabric paint, give the book a handmade feel. Back matter contextualizes the journey. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from August 15, 2022
A Black child takes readers on a Mississippi blues tour in search of a four-legged friend. Bo Willie can't find his dog anywhere. After asking around and consulting a map, he realizes that Yellow Dog, bit by the blues bug, is heading for Beale Street in Memphis, where "he sings all day and night." Along the way, Bo Willie stops by several sites that figure prominently in blues history, among them the Merigold Blues Club, Hicks' Tamales, and the intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 1, one of several locations mentioned in the many legends about Robert Johnson, who is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the gift of blues music. Raschka's illustrations, created with fabric paint and embroidery on canvas, provide layers of texture and energy that give this book a soulful, country feel. The book is genius in its simplicity; instead of offering a factual account of the blues, it invites readers to feel the music--and readers absolutely will. Duncan playfully weaves in references to the blues; her text exudes the tone of a blues song yet remains cheerfully child-friendly ("Then we drove toward Merigold / to shimmy, shake, and boogie"). The backmatter includes information on the Mississippi Delta and the sites that Bo Willie visits. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Like listening to a blues record while wrapped up in a homemade quilt sipping sweet tea. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from August 1, 2022
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* The premise is simple--a dog runs away, and a boy goes in search of him--but the execution is so much more. A historical journey, an exploration of blues music, and an exciting new technique for a Caldecott-winning artist come together in this unique artistic exploration. Bo Willie goes to feed Yellow Dog one morning, only to find the doghouse empty. He checks with neighbors, such as Farmer Fred and the Yee family, who point him toward Highway 61 and the Dockery Farm. Hitching a ride with Aunt Jessie in her pink Cadillac gets Bo Willie further down the road but no closer to that Yellow Dog. The rhythmic, colloquial text is full of references to music and sites that an author's note identifies as the "Mississippi Blues Trail." As the text describes the roots of the Delta blues, its bittersweet tone takes on greater resonance. Although there is fun to be had for Bo Willie on his trip, in the end he must accept that Yellow Dog has moved along. Raschka combines fabric paint, embroidery, and collage on canvas to create portraits of the people and places Bo Willie sees, incorporating hand-stitched patches, maps, and words into the visual images to amplify the musical qualities of the story.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2022
This book about a lost dog is also a musical and cultural journey along the Mississippi Blues Trail. Duncan's (Just like a Mama, rev. 3/20) freewheeling narrative opens with young Bo Willie waking up to an empty doghouse, an open gate, and the harsh truth: his puppy is gone. He sets out to find Yellow Dog, first asking Farmer Fred if he's seen the pup. "Old Yella hit Highway 61," Fred tells him, and Bo Willie is off. Mr. Yee's son saw Yellow Dog "on Dockery Farm, where Muddy Waters played the blues." That lead turns out to be a dead end, but Bo Willie then sees a sign for the Boogie Blues Club Merigold and hitches a ride with Aunt Jessie in her pink Cadillac. Eventually, they hear that the pup left on a Greyhound bus, traveling with a band. "Where can that little dog be?" Studying the map provides the answer: Yellow Dog has moved to Memphis. The story's moral: some dogs are loyal, and some "ramble and run the road. They love you and then they're gone." Raschka's (Mama Baby, rev. 3/20; Saint Spotting, rev. 5/21) compelling art, "created with fabric paint and embroidery thread on raw canvas," adds a down-home feel and a bit of levity to the emotional drama. Notes about the origins of Delta Blues and the landmarks on the Mississippi Blues Trail are appended. While many of the musical references will be over the heads of the picture-book audience, this simple introduction to blues history tells a universal story of loss to which many kids will relate; and some may even admire the pup's independent spirit. Luann Toth

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

October 28, 2022

K-Gr 3-The blues are not just a feeling but the sounds of the South, and they run through Duncan's story and history lesson with a smooth rhythm all the author's own. Raschka's artwork is unique, with a mix of cross-stitching and patches of fabric that makes readers feel cozy and comforted, reminded of a time long past. Bo Willis, a young Black boy, decides to go share his breakfast with his best friend, his yellow dog. When Bo goes to the dog house he notices his puppy dog is gone. Bo sets out on a journey through the Mississippi Delta, sharing his love for his yellow dog, and his love for the music that his yellow dog is searching for. The tale flows like a song as Bo pushes on to find his dog. Readers empathize and relate to the loss of a loved one; here Raschka does something unique. While his illustrations are vibrant and colorful, which seems completely opposite to the blues, they remind readers that life continues, no matter the losses. VERDICT The history of the time period and the music makes this useful in the classroom.-Jacquetta Etheridge

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
This book about a lost dog is also a musical and cultural journey along the Mississippi Blues Trail. Duncan's (Just like a Mama, rev. 3/20) freewheeling narrative opens with young Bo Willie waking up to an empty doghouse, an open gate, and the harsh truth: his puppy is gone. He sets out to find Yellow Dog, first asking Farmer Fred if he's seen the pup. "Old Yella hit Highway 61," Fred tells him, and Bo Willie is off. Mr. Yee's son saw Yellow Dog "on Dockery Farm, where Muddy Waters played the blues." That lead turns out to be a dead end, but Bo Willie then sees a sign for the Boogie Blues Club Merigold and hitches a ride with Aunt Jessie in her pink Cadillac. Eventually, they hear that the pup left on a Greyhound bus, traveling with a band. "Where can that little dog be?" Studying the map provides the answer: Yellow Dog has moved to Memphis. The story's moral: some dogs are loyal, and some "ramble and run the road. They love you and then they're gone." Raschka's (Mama Baby, rev. 3/20; Saint Spotting, rev. 5/21) compelling art, "created with fabric paint and embroidery thread on raw canvas," adds a down-home feel and a bit of levity to the emotional drama. Notes about the origins of Delta Blues and the landmarks on the Mississippi Blues Trail are appended. While many of the musical references will be over the heads of the picture-book audience, this simple introduction to blues history tells a universal story of loss to which many kids will relate; and some may even admire the pup's independent spirit.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)