Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion
by Shannon Stocker (Author) Devon Holzwarth (Illustrator)
A gorgeous and empowering picture book biography about Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman, who became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world.
No. You can't, people said.
But Evelyn knew she could. She had found her own way to listen.
From the moment Evelyn Glennie heard her first note, music held her heart. She played the piano by ear at age eight, and the clarinet by age ten. But soon, the nerves in her ears began to deteriorate, and Evelyn was told that, as a deaf girl, she could never be a musician. What sounds Evelyn couldn't hear with her ears, though, she could feel resonate through her body as if she, herself, were a drum. And the music she created was extraordinary. Evelyn Glennie had learned how to listen in a new way. And soon, the world was listening too.
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Publishers Weekly
Having learned piano and clarinet before being diagnosed with degenerative hearing loss at age 10, Evelyn Glennie (b. 1965) was determined not to forsake music, which "rolled through the farm hills" of her native Scotland. Drawn by her school orchestra's percussion instruments, she starts lessons with a teacher who suggests that she remove her hearing aids and feel the drums' vibrations in her body: "every other sense intensified, as if Evelyn's whole body had become one giant ear," Stocker writes. Embracing the idea that "her brain just listened differently," Glennie fights to attend London's Royal Academy of Music--resulting in changed rules across British music schools--then goes on to record albums, win two Grammy Awards, and be awarded damehood by Queen Elizabeth II. Digitally enhanced watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations by Holzwarth emphasize Glennie's experience of finding, per an author's note, "other ways to listen," capturing the figure's barefoot performances via swirling, radiant colors that pour forth from her mallets. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
Gr 3-6--The life of deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie dances and swirls across the page in this vibrantly illustrated picture book biography that is perfect for elementary school readers learning about music and fascinating women. Glennie's story begins in Scotland, where she can play music by ear by the age of 10. Soon thereafter, she loses her hearing, and it seems as if she will lose access to music, too. A compassionate teacher, Ron Forbes, understands that Glennie feels the music with every part of her being, and she becomes an essential musician in any percussion section. This is more than a story of overcoming discrimination due to disability--Stocker captures something about the artist's need to be herself, regardless of abilities. Glennie is making music to this day. Lush brushstrokes, delicate character portraits, and warm colors make this a beautiful title to explore, and the ample text and sweet author's note ensures that Glennie's story will have an impact on readers. VERDICT An excellent addition to biography sections, especially for musical readers looking to feel the music and not just hear it.--Aryssa Damron
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"An intriguing, loving biography." —Kirkus "Evelyn Glennie not only challenges the traditional role of a percussionist but what it means to listen to music. . . . Lyrical text [and] expressive swirls of vibrant colors throughout evoke the sounds Evelyn's body feels and the beautiful music she creates in return." —Booklist
JNF053180 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Special Needs
JNF036090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Music | Instruments
Picture books
Deaf
Scotland
Drummers (Musicians)
Glennie, Evelyn
Percussionists
Deaf musicians
