Hello, Mister Blue

by Daria Peoples (Author) Daria Peoples (Illustrator)

Hello, Mister Blue
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A day in the park sparks an unlikely connection between a young girl and a street musician without a home. From acclaimed author-illustrator Daria Peoples, Hello, Mister Blue is a powerful picture book that emphasizes the importance of history, bravery, and community. Hello, Mister Blue is for readers who love Yuyi Morales's Dreamers and Matt de la Peña's and Christian Robinson's Last Stop on Market Street.

A young girl always creates special memories when she visits her grandfather. He lets her sip his creamy coffee, they take a stroll through the park, and they play music together. But this time, something unexpected happens: she meets Papa's longtime friend, Mister Blue.

Mister Blue lives outside, and he and his music have always brought Papa's community together. At the end of the day, the young girl has many questions for Papa. Is Mister Blue safe? Scared? Lonely, hungry? With her curiosity and kindness, she can change things for the better, for at least one person and one night.

Featuring a lyrical text, stunning illustrations, and a resonant message, Hello, Mister Blue presents a difficult, universal topic with sensitivity and warmth for the youngest of readers. Every person belongs to a community, and generosity can make a difference for everyone.

Hello, Mister Blue is a terrific pick for readers of Oge Mora's Saturday and Vera B. Williams's A Chair for My Mother.

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Starred Review

A visually stunning narrative that poses hard questions with no easy answers and highlights hope despite hardship.

Publishers Weekly

A child spends the day with their beloved Papa, sharing his "creamy, sweet coffee" during breakfast, playing violins with him outdoors, and meeting Papa's friend, Mister Blue, a talented musician who is unhoused. Papa says that he and Mister Blue "go back. All the way back," and scenes portray memories of the characters serving together in the military. Mister Blue plays all manner of instruments, including bucket drums and a harmonica, and his music has shepherded their neighborhood through moments of celebration, tragedy, and protest: it "makes all the people in the street... RISE! MARCH! AND... BOOGIE!" Though Papa offers reassurance, the child protagonist has questions about whether Mister Blue is safe outside, or scared, lonely, cold, or hungry. These queries culminate in the two inviting Mister Blue inside and out of the rain, and Mister Blue becoming the child's friend, too. In oil and graphite, Peoples (America, My Love, America, My Heart) creates an array of thickly textured spreads, employing saturated earth tones for the present and grayscale scenes for the past, and artfully emphasizing the importance of uniting a community of ages and experiences. Back matter includes an author's note. Protagonists read as Black. Ages 4-8. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (May)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063206755
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
May 30, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039070 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Homelessness & Poverty
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Homeless persons
Compassion
Street musicians

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