Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World

by Kim Tomsic (Author) Brett Helquist (Illustrator)

Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

"An exuberant introduction to a musician and creative genius." -Kirkus Reviews

A beautifully-illustrated true story of rock and roll legend Les Paul

This is the story of how Les Paul created the world's first solid-body electric guitar, countless other inventions that changed modern music, and one truly epic career in rock and roll. How to make a microphone? A broomstick, a cinderblock, a telephone, a radio. How to make an electric guitar? A record player's arm, a speaker, some tape. How to make a legendary inventor? A few tools, a lot of curiosity, and an endless faith in what is possible, this unforgettable biography will resonate with inventive readers young and old. Perfect for young readers and rock and roll enthusiasts alike. Unforgettable biography that will resonate with inventive readers young and old. Featuring richly detailed, dynamic illustrations by Brett Helquist, the New York Times bestselling illustrator of many books, including the Lemony Snicket books, A Series of Unfortunate Events.

"Les Paul was an innovator and musical force for the ages - he changed the world in a very real way. His story is a lesson from which kids of all ages can derive inspiration." -Billy Gibbons, lead guitarist of ZZ Top.

This inspiring true story of rock and roll legend Les Paul teaches lessons of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and following your dreams. 

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Hardcover
$17.99

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5—If your child regularly took apart machines in your home or trimmed down a tread on your stairs to make it sound better, how would you react? Fortunately for musicians and music lovers, Les Paul's mother encouraged, even praised, his efforts. From a young age, Les was curious about sound as it relates to music. His initial attempts to learn to play the piano ended with the teacher declaring, "Lester will never learn music..." but a mail-order guitar and a wooden harmonica proved to be just the ticket to launch his ever-widening curiosity about how to improve the sound so it would reach all the way to the back of crowds that came to hear him play. Each performance venue produced additional problems to solve, leading to more and more tinkering with found objects. His persistence and creativity paid off, as he is credited with numerous inventions that have made today's recorded music possible. Paul's story is delightfully told in folksy, familiar language, with numerous onomatopoeias to represent the sounds he produced. There is additional back matter that adds more detail to illuminate his amazing career accomplishments. Helquist's illustrations, created with colorful oils, are equally delightful and pleasant. Text and illustrations radiate exuberance and joy. Readers will marvel at the perseverance and ingenuity Paul demonstrated throughout his life. VERDICT A strong addition to inspire would-be inventors, and an excellent choice for STEM programs and biography collections.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

According to his teacher, young Les Paul--who preferred playing piano by ear over sight reading--would "never be musical." Undeterred and with his mother's support, Paul pursued his interests, musical and otherwise. After designing and building a radio set, he learned to play guitar, banjo, and harmonica, performing for audiences that expressed their wish to hear the music better. Through trial and error, Paul created contraptions to amplify the sound of his guitar--but the guitar's vibrations caused unwelcome feedback. A steel rail and an electric guitar prototype (called the Log, because of its shape) led to a design that resembles modern-day instruments. In Helquist's expressive oil paintings, Paul's music is visualized as colorful orbs and swirling lines. Good ideas require persistence, determination, and lots of experimentation, Tomsic implies through Paul's story. A note from the author explores Paul's contributions to the world of music in greater detail. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Les Paul was an innovator and musical force for the ages-he changed the world in a very real way. His story is a lesson from which kids of all ages can derive inspiration." —Billy Gibbons, lead guitarist of ZZ Top
Kim Tomsic
Kim Tomsic is also the author of the nonfiction picture book Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World. Kim is the mother of two children and divides her time between Boulder, Colorado, and Scottsdale, Arizona. She serves on the board of her father's charity (Friends of Haiti) and is the Co-Regional Advisor of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Hadley Hooper is an illustrator and painter. Some of her previous books include the award-winning The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse and Mabel and Sam at Home. This is her eighth picture book. She lives in Denver with her partner, Hugh, and dog, Augie. Elephants are her favorite animals, but dogs are a very close second.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781452159195
Lexile Measure
720
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
April 09, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF061010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Inventions
JNF007000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | General
JNF036020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Music | History
JNF036090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Music | Instruments
Library of Congress categories
United States
Inventors
Guitarists
Paul, Les

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