Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band

Gr 1–3-While Mahin's tale is fictionalized, Stalebread Charlie and his band were real, their music is documented in New Orleans lore. The main body of this cheerful, cartoon-illustrated book tells about the ragtag band's start; the boys are hungry and try to make money for food by playing for change. At first, even the alley cats dislike their efforts, but eventually even tough-to-please passersby begin to appreciate the spasm band's music, which was a jazz precursor. A craft page that is part of the back matter teaches children how to make and use a kazoo. Additional closing pages offer material for adult readers. In the first, an author's note discusses the history of the spasm bands and jazz, but most welcome is the illustrator's explanation that follows, which acknowledges the role that African Americans had in creating jazz but explain that Tate's pictures accurately depict the spasm band's white members. These extras elevate the book from a pleasant story to a worthwhile teaching tool.