Cedar Grove Books, which published the fun Draculiza, has another kids’ book out – The Soul of Harmony. It’s the first in a series about a young girl, Harmony Walker, and her family living in New York in the jazz age. Her father, Eazy Walker, is a horn player down on his luck. His luck’s about to change, after Harmony, playing with her friend Juan Carlos, accidentally breaks Eazy’s trumpet mouthpiece. Looking for a replacement, Harmony makes an unwise deal with a mysterious woman in exchange for a magical mouthpiece. After a year of fame and fortune, the woman shows up to collect her dues…
The Soul of Harmony is a gorgeous looking book. Craig Rex Perry’s artwork is striking, full of bold colours and dynamic layouts. There’s a real sense of movement and atmosphere.
The Promise is part one of a continuing story, so it ends on a cliffhanger after dealing with the main plot. There is a sneak peak of part two, Running Away with the Rhythm, at the back of the book, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Through text and image, The Promise unfolds at a satisfyingly swift pace. The power of the story is very much vested in the gorgeous art. Some tense changes in the text can feel muddling, though I found that when I read it aloud, the shifts felt like a natural part of spoken storytelling – throwing in the present tense to set scenes and heighten immediacy.
It’s a lively tale – a sumptuously illustrated musical adventure, full of action and suspense.
Goodreads Competition
Enter the Goodreads Giveaway for a copy of The Soul of Harmony – open until 5 March 2016
Buy The Soul of Harmony
- The Soul of Harmony
(Amazon.com)
- The Soul of Harmony (Barnes and Noble)
- The Soul of Harmony (Better Read Than Dead)
- The Soul of Harmony (Kobo)