Book Description
for Danté Plays His Blues by Allen R. Wells and Shamar Knight-Justice
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Danté and his mama move in with his uncles and cousin after they lose their home. Mama promises they’ll have a place of their own again soon, but Danté misses Luna Park, where they lived. Uncle Ron, a sax player, begins teaching Danté how to play the saxophone, giving him a small one to practice on. When Uncle Ron tells Danté he should name his saxophone—Uncle Ron’s sax is Charlene, after Danté’s grandmamma—Danté names it Luna. Danté practices all summer long. There are highs, like blowing his first clear note (“Solid”) but also continued sadness because his mama works hard and they still lost their home. “Turn yo’ blues into yo’ muse,” suggests Uncle Joe. By the time the leaves are turning gold, Danté is ready for a short song on stage with his uncles’ band. “It isn’t perfect, but I keep playing all the way to the end. … Maybe someday, Mama and I will have our own house again. Until then, my uncles’ house is our house. Solid.” A warm, honest picture book centering feelings around loss and change features a Black boy and his lively, supportive extended family. Musical imagery appears in the background and throughout the vibrant mixed-media illustrations.
CCBC Choices 2025. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison, 2025. Used with permission.