The title of the last book review was supposed to be, “I finally have gotten everything I have written, posted.” Then this morning I read one more picture book that is officially due late October/early November 2024, and I read via an online reader copy. Plus, I had just one more to post yesterday, but couldn’t get to it so it didn’t matter anyways!
The book cover is the first thing you (obviously) see, so you know that you will have a diverse cast of characters and music of some sort, so it could be an active book as well as a reading book. The use of music we learn is to make the chores less dull. Soulful Struttin’ combines fun and work to allow more fun. The music itself is probably not familiar to a modern audience, therefore allowing a look into music. Basing things on her own family, Julia Pierre Hammond brings to life a Sunday tradition that not only is special father-daughter time, but a lesson in how to swing with the little things (and big things) in life. We learn there are no “bad notes” just ones that get you where you are going.
The extras at the end are perhaps the best part of the book. The recipe, the music play list and more really brings the story of chores (which has been done) to another level. These things, plus the authors note, makes the book more interesting and special. There are question prompts that allow you to be interactive with things and allow for you to adapt it to fit your needs and own personal traditions and touches.
However, even though the illustrations were colorful and they fit the overall tone of the story, they felt flat to me. I appreciate the work Ana Latese did, but they make the story younger feeling and looking, which might turn off some of the older readers (those who could read solo or the ones that the activities and extras at the end would be good for). It could be aged four to younger eight, but probably best for that five to eight range (with adults included as well).