Book Reviews

PIONEER LIBRARY SYSTEM — CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW

Author: Robbie Robertson Reviewer: Pioneer Library System Staff

I had just started watching a documentary film about The Band's final concert called The Last Waltz. It opens with a rip-roaring cinematic rendition of the band's encore performance ("Don't Do It"). A slender, laconic gentleman in a hooded sweater and widebrimmed hat wanders out on stage with a cigarette, approaches the mic, and says, "We're gonna do one more song, and that's it."

I was hooked.

The man is Robbie Robertson, the band is The Band, and I immediately felt the need to know everything I could about this musical journey. Robbie's memoir, Testimony, accounts for his life up to The Band's breakup. It's a fascinating journey that began in Toronto and the Six Nations reserve. Along the way, he discovers his previously unknown Jewish family, joins the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins at 15 years old, works with Bob Dylan, and launches a seminal musical career that influenced nearly every contemporary American artist. The story of Robbie Robertson is the story of American rock music.

This is a memoir filled with laughter, heartbreak, and nostalgia. There's an undercurrent of "aw shucks, gee whiz" attitude that belies the fraught realities of Robertson's life, which include brushes with organized crime, collaborations with musical icons, and affairs with hard drugs. When Robertson recounts a conversation with Jimi Hendrix about guitar strings, you get the feeling you're being told the story as if little ears were present. And when Robertson recounts the heady days of The Band living together at Woodstock, you feel like these artists were doing something monumental.

Take the whole memoir with a grain of salt, but if you're interested in the life of a musical virtuoso whose career shaped the industry, check out Testimony: A Memoir by Robbie Robertson.

The Remember Balloons

Author: Jessie Oliveros · Illustrator: Dana Wulfekotte Reviewer: Elizabeth Lawrence, Children’s Librarian, Moore Public Library

What if your memories were depicted as balloons you carried with you? What if—one day— those balloons begin to float away?

James' Grandpa has the brightest and most colorful balloons because he has the best memories from a long, full life. James loves hearing the story behind each balloon and creating his own balloons with Grandpa. Until Grandpa starts to let go of his balloons, he doesn't even notice they're gone. But James sees, and he's heartbroken. When Grandpa no longer has balloons, but James has many, James realizes he can share and hold onto his own balloons for them both.

The Remember Balloons is a touching book and excellent resource for a parent to share with a child to help them understand the effect of Alzheimer's or dementia in a loved one. As a picture book with an AR level of 2.8 worth .5 points, it's written for ages 3-7 or grades K through 2nd, but even older children and adults will appreciate its simple depth.

The Remember Balloons is available as an electronic and physical copy at the library. For more information on finding this title or other recommendations, please come to the Moore Public Library Children's Services Desk, call us at 405-793-4347, or visit www.pioneerlibrarysystem.org.