Hosea Plays On

PreS-Gr 2–Hosea is a storyteller who can spin a yarn without words through music. He prepares his saxophone for a long day at the public market and thinks, “On a day like this...I could play forever.” Shoppers listen and dance to his smoky tunes, notes, and riffs. The crowds come and go, Hosea plays on. The clouds darken and rain falls, Hosea plays on. By the end of the day he has enough money to buy an instrument for the kid next door and offers him music lessons so together, they can play on. Blasi’s picture book debut features a black Rochester, NY musician whose musical ministry was to enrich his community with music. Her thoughtful impressions continue in the author’s notes where readers further learn of Hosea’s talents and community activism. Blasi skillfully weaves dialogue, nature sounds, and city noise throughout the musical narrative. Evans whimsically illustrates these textual elements to give them shape and movement. He creates a bluesy rhythm with dynamic cobalt lines, pastel washes, and crisp textured leaves that twirl and whirl within the book to tie Hosea’s day together.