  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 11/01/2012 Instead of taking the typical here’s-how-it’s-done route, this inventive picture book uses the concept of forming a band to convey a surprisingly wide-reaching story of sisterly love. The narrator offers amusingly specific instructions to the reader (represented in the story by a ponytailed little girl): “First, you’ll need two interesting, smart older sisters who can play guitars and sing.” Got it? What’s so genuine about this semiautobiographical tale (Roche was part of the indie-folk outfit The Roches for 30 years) are the realistic temporal jumps: “Now you can let a couple years go by.” The three sisters get older and graduate from living room shows to street corner performances to music clubs to international tours, all the while having fun and, of course, bickering. “Oh, and try to be gentle with each other. After all, these are your dear sisters.” Potter’s folksy, weird-angled watercolors at first seem an odd fit for the let’s-rock material, though as the sisters age, these illustrations become increasingly poignant. A totally unique angle on a timeless theme. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. School Library Journal - 03/01/2013 Gr 3–5—Appealing to the listener's inner musician, the author (youngest sister of the indie folk-rock trio, the Roches) begins with a question: "Are you one of those kids who likes to make noise?" She then prescribes a plan to form a successful band, even if "you only know how to play air guitar." Skeptics may not make it beyond their disbelief, but Roche continues with a rundown involving the pain of learning to play a stringed instrument (her choice), tips for dealing with discouragement, the necessity of practicing, and attending to reactions. Potter's signature naïve style is the perfect accompaniment to the fictionalized narrative of these women-noted for their quirky lyrics and humorous performances. The artist uses bright watercolors and bold patterns to highlight the sisters and their family; the backgrounds are more subdued, and the audiences, monochromatic. While the pajama-clad child prancing around the kitchen, banging a pot and wearing a colander on her head, suggests a younger demographic, this is not the right companion for Leslie Patricelli's Be Quiet, Mike! (Candlewick, 2011). Many years and page turns go by before a band is named, formed, discovered, recorded, and touring. Readers need patience and an interest in the process and the motivations of the aging performers. While the second-person voice is occasionally awkward as it mixes Roche's life with children's imagined experiences, it does draw readers in. Recommended for music fans in intimate, intergenerational settings.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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