From his childhood days through his untimely death, a picture book biography offers a look at the life, times, accomplishments, and inspirations of this celebrated guitarist, singer, and songwriter from the Lone Star state. Grade 3-5 - Bustard describes Holly's early life, his family's fascination with music, and his path to becoming a recording star. Information on his musical influences, his early bands, and the creation of the Crickets and their success is included. This lively work is written in a folksy vernacular, with plenty of yeehaws, whoo-de-doos, and yeeee-doggies thrown in with colloquial expressions like "knee-high to an armadillo" and "Buddy stuck to that guitar like white on rice." While the enthusiastic text is very casual, a factual afterword presents more details about Holly's life and career. Attractive watercolors contribute to the down-home atmosphere. Well done, but of limited interest to most kids. - Jeffrey A. French, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. K-Gr. 3. Few kids know Buddy Holly; grandparents, more than parents, may be familiar with his music. So does this biography stand up without the benefit of his music being played in the background? Well, Bustard gives it a game go in a raucous, upbeat homage, which uses the cadence and rhythms of the South to capture the feel of the music and the excitement it generated in Holly. Raised in a family where toe-tappin' music was a regular feature, Holly "lassoed first prize" at a talent show by playing the fiddle when he was five. As a teen, he devoted his full attention to music that was "faster than greased lightning, louder than a thunderstorm, more powerful than a Texas twister." The artwork gets in the groove, as well. Handsomely realistic pictures of kids dancing or Buddy playing rock-and-roll are mixed with more surreal moments, such as 45s floating in the sky. Only one sentence in the afterword speaks to Holly's tragic death in a plane crash. Ilene Cooper Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Anne Bustard is a former elementary school teacher and bookseller. She currently teaches in the education department at the University of Texas at Austin, where she recently received a Texas Excellence Teaching Award. Ms. Bustard lives in Austin, Texas, and listens to songs on the radio every day. Kurt Cyrus is the illustrator of many books for children, including The Bones of Fred McFee by Eve Bunting, and Oddhopper Opera and the forthcoming Hotel Deep, both of which he also wrote. Mr. Cyrus lives in Cottage Grove, Oregon, where he is at work on his next book. Used Book in Good Condition