Walter Dean Myers’s picture book poem illustrates the connection between blues music, poetry, and the real-life events that inspire them. Each page includes a powerful collage-style drawing in dark, bluesy hues and four lines of poetry in the familiar call-and-response style found in the blues. The themes are typical of traditional blues music, including the horrors and joys experienced by African Americans in the United States. The glossary explains the symbolism of a handful of recurring images commonly used in countless songs. The book finishes with of timeline of major events in the history of blues. Winner, CCBC Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Discussion (Ages 9–14)