Shake, Rattle & Turn That Noise Down!: How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me & Mom

by Mark Alan Stamaty

FOR HIS EIGHTH birthday, Mark Alan Stamatyâ s parents gave him his very own radio. Little did his mother realize that that innocent-looking plastic box would one day be the gateway for a new kind of sound that would â rockâ her nearly out of her mind. . . .

Mark first heard the howling thunder of Elvis Presley singing â Hound Dogâ on the radio one lazy day and his life was forever changed. Soon he was styling his hair like the King and practicing his dance moves with a tennis racket as his pretend guitar in front o f the mirror. But his mother lived in constant fear that her sonâ s new love of rock â nâ roll would turn him into a juvenile delinquent. Could Markâ s performance at his Cub Scout talent show change her mind?


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens, Comics

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read with some engaging art. The underlying message is that encouraging people in their passions is important, even if we don't always understand why they are passionate. It is also a nice story about overcoming one's personal fears, and embracing the power of music.

[Rachel M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autobiographical graphic novel of a hard-core Elvis fan - so cute!

[Melissa]

For his eighth birthday, Mark Alan Stamaty gets the coolest present ever - his very own radio. As he writes in this adorable children's book, that might not seem like a big deal today ...but to a kid in 1955, this was indeed very much a Very. Big. Deal.

He listened to his new radio non-stop and soon, a new sound emerged from the speakers, that of "that singer that everyone is talking about, Elvis Presley."

"Suddenly, without warning, a howling thunder of sound exploded into my room, engulfing me in a hurricane of excitement. It took me over, made me want to move and dance like nothing I'd ever felt before. I turned up the volume full blast and let the music take me away!!!!!!!!!!"

The sounds of The King weren't music to Mark's mother's ears. At first she forbid her son to buy any Elvis records - until she heard a little song called "Love Me Tender." He was allowed to buy that one, and that one only.

"My mother couldn't believe it. 'He DOES have a voice! Why does he waste it?'"

Mark becomes infatuated with everything Elvis - his music, his moves, his hairstyle (which he successfully copies and becomes the envy of his class). He performed as Elvis for a school talent show; later, as an adult working as a political cartoonist, he would occasionally do an a cappella performance, including a memorable impromptu show for President Clinton.

Both Betty and Boo loved Shake, Rattle and Turn That Noise Down! (I'm not much of an Elvis fan, but I did like this picture book). It's written in a graphic novel format, which is very popular these days with my kids - especially Boo. They loved the illustrations and the mother freaking out over the music (something they are accustomed to, in a lesser regard, as The Husband and I will occasionally make our opinions known on the musical talent of their Radio Disney icons). I've found that parents freaking out is always good for a few laughs from my kids whenever I read aloud to them (something that is disappearing, sad to say).

Shake, Rattle and Turn That Noise Down! is targeted for an age range of 5-8, which I think is appropriate. There are plenty of kids in that age who are into rock and roll, and my kids are among them (to some extent and more Boo than Betty), and I think that this would have a lot of appeal.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long ago, roundabout 1973 or so, a young Mark Alan Stamaty wrote a picture book. It was called Who Needs Donuts and it remains, to this day, just the trippiest darn thing you ever did see. Trippy and remarkably beautiful. Somehow or other Stamaty was able to cram more tiny details in a single centimeter than most folks do on an entire page. It was like Peter Sis on angel dust. Since the publication of that book Mr. Stamaty has had various other titles for kids. Books like Small in the Saddle, Minnie Maloney and Macaroni, and Where's My Hippopotamus More recently he's played about with graphic novels for kids, with titles like Too Many Time Machines and the remarkable Alia's Mission Saving the Books of Iraq. Now with his latest, Stamaty combines the graphic format with picture books, in the best little old autobiographical mash-up I've seen in quite some time. It may not have the sheer insanity of Who Needs Donuts?, but Shake, Rattle & Turn That Noise Down! is definitely its descendant, and has a personal touch that kids everywhere should be able to connect to.

Mark and his mom were pretty simpatico when it came to music when he was a kid. When she got him a radio for his birthday, he would listen to gentle melodies or classical tunes. But that was all before HE came along. His name was Elvis Presley. The first time Mark heard him "a howling thunder of sound exploded into my room, engulfing me in a hurricane of excitement." The first time his mom heard Elvis she "burst into my room looking like a cornered hostage in a vampire horror movie." And never the twain quite met. Mark's mother was convinced that this was a fad that would disappear. Meanwhile Elvis and other singers like him started to transform the face of popular music. Part personal memoir, part history lesson in music, part graphic novel, part picture book, Stamaty's personal history with "The King" is a touching story that anyone can relate to. Backmatter includes photos of young Mark, photos of older Mark, and a personal history that even discusses him doing his Elvis impression for the President of the United States.

This is what a graphic novel is all about, people. Look at it. No lazy digital coloring slapped on without a second thought. No, Stamaty has utilized graphite, ink, gouache, watercolors, polymer paints, and even done in colored pencils to give each of these images the right texture and feel. Shirts and patterns are often colored pencils while the people's bodies are watercolors and the font of their words thick bright paints. And speaking of the fonts, no Comic Sans for this man. Oh no. Stamaty has meticulously drawn each letter of dialogue. If folks are just talking then the words are all capital letters in black ink. But when they shout or sing, suddenly the words take on a size and girth they never had before. Best of all are the layouts. Panels aren't just blocky squares. They become circular when they need to be, or take over entire pages. Sometimes, as when Mark hears Elvis for the first time, you've a full two-page spread to really drill home the excitement of the music. And the speech balloons! They start out normal, then expand and contract to an enormous degree. I love watching them curve around the action. The lyrics of music in particular are given a snaky quality, wrapping around the characters' dialogue. Amazing.

And then there's Stamaty's way with people. Folks in this book have a tendency to talk to one another with their arms placidly at their sides. However, given just the right amount of stress or joy, they're all over the place. Little Mark's legs convey all the crazy Elvis gyrations to a beautiful degree. And then there's Mark's mom. Her sheer shrieking panic is a thing of beauty on the page. Just look at her. Her hands clutch her hair, as if to rip Elvis's very voice out of her skull. Even the refracted light in her glasses has turned into jagged points that seem to cling to her wide-open eyeballs. This is a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and it's all thanks to Elvis.

Interestingly, the book this reminded me the most of was The Long Gone Lonesome History of Country Music by Bret Bertholf. On the surface this might be because it's a non-fiction graphic novel picture book that seeks to teach kids about the history of music in some fashion. But both books also take a great deal of pleasure in drawing the faces of the famous folks of the time. Stamaty has a lot of fun showing everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Ray Charles to The Rolling Stones while Bertholf indulges in folks like Johnny Cash or Jake Tullock. The two would pair beautifully together for a historical music lesson. Each one catches the eye, though Stamaty stays in the realm of rock n' roll and Bertholf skews into full-blown country.

Autobiographical graphic novels for young readers are still few and far between on library shelves these days. You'll get something like Raina Telegemeier's Smile or (heaven help us) David Small's Stitches but actual picture book comic adaptations are as rare as Elvis sightings. Stamaty's book, like all his titles, is a true original. From the beginning of his literary career he's done his own thing and made books that look, feel, and sound like nobody else's. Now he's written one that kids will enjoy thoroughly and maybe even accidentally come to learn something from. Elvis lives all right. In this book.

Ages 4-9.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the actual subject matter of the book...the story of the author as an 8-year old boy discovering Elvis Presley...but I really disliked the execution. It is told in a "comic" book format which was very confusing and too busy. The text was jammed together and difficult to read/follow and the illustrations felt mashed together. There was just too much going on to really be able to follow and appreciate the story.

[Whole And · Rating 3 out of 5]

A busy graphic novel, written mostly in CAPITALS all about a boy and love for Elvis...

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book for young Elvis fans.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: I entered a contest the author was running for a free copy because the book sounded so cool. I never heard back, knowing I'd not won, and honestly, forgot about the book when six months later I received a cool letter in the mail from the author with a postcard and an original drawing he'd made. I just had to read it after that!

This is truly an amazing book and story that kids and their parents will love and their grand-parents may love even more! I think it's integral to the enjoyment that the child be aware of who Elvis is both through hearing his music and having seen footage of him performing to get the full effect of the story.

The book starts with showing some difference in home life from 1955 and now and to emphasize how excited the author was to receive a radio for his birthday. How pleased his mother was to walk past his room and hear lovely band music coming from it until one day later the next year Elvis hit the airwaves and turned Mark onto the new music scene of "rock and roll". Well, mother flips out from the screeching noise emitting from the radio and we see the comparison in all our lives through ages of parents thinking that their children's music is noise compared to what they listed to as children themselves. Mark takes it a step further and combs his hair Elvis style and learns all his dance moves and words to his songs until eventually his Cub Pack puts on a skit at an annual dinner and they ask their resident Elvis to perform. The end of the book has some photographs of the author as a child and performing at the event as well as of him now turning into an Elvis impersonator.

The book is a lot of fun with some actual laugh out loud moments. This is one that truly will be enjoyed by all ages. I imagine grandparents reading it to grandchildren will especially bond over the book. This is a must have for the classroom and the library. The graphic design of the book is appealing as well. Much of the book uses narrator style rectangles within frames with bubbles showing up here and there. He also has flowing rivers filled with lyrics or music notes emanating from radios and record players to denote music. The lettering is very large caps throughout with the occasional stylized word here and there. Stamaty's drawing style is eye-catching with his people not being quite proportional they look a bit short and squat with big heads. This disproportion is only slightly off so it only gives his characters just that extra bit of interest. I really enjoy the style.

While the story is a lot of fun and kid's will relate to little Mark's feelings of parental frustration, idol worship and later performance anxiety it also contains quite a lot of information on the history of rock and roll: who the early pioneers were and how it was different from what came before. This is a keeper!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction/Twin Text Entry #4

This book is about an eight year old boy who got a radio for his birthday. Mark loved music, but more than that, he loved rock and roll. From the very first moment he heard Elvis Presley sing on that small radio, he was hooked, body and soul. He began styling his hair like Elvis, dancing like Elvis, and even pretended to play the guitar like him! However, his mother forbid him from listening to the music he loved so much because she was afraid he would turn into a juvenile delinquent. There was a Cub Scout talent show coming up that he wanted to perform in, and was hoping he could change her mind.
This book is illustrated like a graphic novel, and is visually engaging. Mark Alan Stamaty actually went on to perform at the White House for many years as an Elvis Presley impersonator, which goes to show just how far a love for music can take you.

The book that accompanies this perfectly is "The Man with the Violin," written by Kathy Stinson. "The Man with the Violin" is about a boy named Dylan who notices a lot of things, but his mom, like most adults, does not. She simply rushes through life, going from place to place, without looking up. When Dylan and his mother get onto a crowded subway station, Dylan hears the most beautiful music coming from a violinist, and he tries to get his mother to listen. Of course she is too busy, and later she realizes what a beautiful thing she missed.
The narrative is told from a child's point-of-view, and the author uses words like, "grr-rumble" and "patter" to emphasize the sounds Dylan hears throughout the story. The thing that connects this book with "Shake, Rattle & Turn That Noise Down!" the most is the illustrations. All of the positive aspects of the book (the articles Dylan notices in the beginning that his mom seems to pass by, as well as the visualization of the music the violinist played) are in bright, vivid colors, whereas the rest of the illustrations are set in a more dull background. This is done intentionally to stress the importance of the message of not rushing through life, and to enjoy each moment as it comes. The illustrations in both books are captivating, and while the first book is nonfiction and is completely true, the second book, "The Man with the Violin," is based on a true story, so students will learn important lessons from each selection.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Mark Alan Stamaty’s parents gave him his own radio at age eight, they thought he’d be listening to the gentle popular music of the time. But one evening, Elvis and “Hound Dog” blasted from the radio and everything changed with rock and roll. Mark’s mother was alarmed at this new music and forbade him from buying any of Elvis’ records. Mark was still able to read about Elvis in magazines, listen to him on the radio, and even see him on TV. Eventually, Mark’s mother gave up and gave in and he was able to buy Elvis records. Mark changed the way he did his hair into an Elvis pompadour, helped the other boys in his class get the same look, and when his school picture was taken everyone thought he looked just like Elvis. So it was natural when the Cub Scout talent show came along that Mark impersonate Elvis, but how would his mother react?

Stamaty is a cartoonist and that shows in this book. Filled with the frames of cartoons, speech bubbles and caption, the book has its own rocking and rolling feel. His illustrations show a delightful mix of vintage and modern that echoes the feel of Elvis too. This book will not work well as a read-aloud because of the graphic novel format, but individuals will enjoy it immensely. The final pages of the book are a real treat as readers get to see the famous Elvis school picture and a snapshot of Mark performing in the Cub Scout event. There is also information on Mark performing as Elvis for President Clinton.

A humorous look at a moment in history, this picture book will be most appreciated by slightly older children who can identify with growing up and having preferences of one’s own. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

[Emily]

1. This graphic book tells the story of a young boy who discovers the powerful music of Elvis. His mother did not want him listening to what she called, this awful music but that did not stop him. He decided to style his hair like him and everyone thought he looked just like him. Then at a boy scout talent show, his troop performed and Elvis song with him as Elvis and the crowd went wild! After that his mom was proud of him and realized how important this music was.

2. This is a fun book for children to read in the graphic style. It talks about Elvis from the viewpoint of his fans and gives children a look into the past and how people then only had radios, often times no TVs and no cell phones or computers. It sends the message to the reader that music is important and you can't let anyone tell you otherwise.

3. "John Secret Dreams: The John Lennon Story" by Doreen Rapapport tells the story of how John Lennon alwasy wanted to be a musician and never gave up on those dreams.

"When Marian Sang: the true story of Marian Anderson" by Pam Munoz Ryan tells the story of an African American woman who never gave up on her dreams of singing.

4. "Suddenly, without warning,a howling thunder of sound exploded into my room, engulfing me in a hurricane of excitement. It took me over, made me want to move and dance like nothing I'd ever felt before. I turned up the volume full blast and let the music take me away!"

This book shows how powerful and influential music can be. It would be a great anchor book to read to children to discuss this power of music and have them write about music that effects and influences them, using very descriptive words.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought "a picture book about Elvis?? Do kids even care about Elvis?" But this turns out to be a graphic novel about how music changed the author's life as a boy, specifically the birth of rock and roll and and especially Elvis Presley's talent. He makes it a personal and funny story: his mother can't stand Elvis' music, he does his hair up like Elvis and practices "air" performances in his bedroom with a tennis racket. The best part is his air performance at the Cub Scout dinner. By now readers will want to see his much-hyped 4th grade class picture, and the author doesn't disappoint, providing the story after the story. Like the spirit of early rock and roll, the pictures and text are bold, big, noisy and fill every page. Very fun.

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was rather annoyed at the lettering which made me not-so-happy with the whole book. The letters are in all caps and squished closely together so it's very hard to read. It also makes the pages pretty busy. However, the story is rather delightful with some good history as well as emotional growth. The illustration style initially struck me as rather ugly with amateurish characters with creepy expressions but eventually I got used to it and even found that it seemed appropriate for the time period, especially in terms of shapes and colors. Overall, a rather fun read and great way to personalize musical history.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, this book is dedicated to Mom--how else would Elvis want it? Mom obsessed and terrifically talented, the King went out into the world looking for affirmation. This guy, the author, got his mojo from the king, and even had a chance to perform in front of President Clinton. His mom was only partially mollified, by the way. As Elvis plugs in and turns on, we are amazed at his innocence. A really succinct and, thankfully, incomplete portrait of a amazing musician and his protege are portrayed in these pages. Rock on!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel for younger readers about a young Elvis fan. I think I will buy a copy of this for my dad, who is the biggest Elvis fan ever (no, really - he wrote his PhD thesis on Elvis. I win.) because I can picture him enjoying reading this to his grandkids. The art style was not really my taste, but I think it fit the book, and it was a glimpse for my kids of what their Pop Pop might have been like as a kid.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this looks like a children's picture book, in my opinion, it's really a graphic novel so that's where I'll have it catalogued. The author turns his interest in Elvis Presley into an entertaining story which I really liked. The illustrations can be overwhelming at times because there's so much happening on the page.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have rated this higher if I actually liked Elvis. (Beatles Forever!) However, it's an entertaining story of how Elvis and rock-and-roll stole the hearts of the young and put up a musical barrier between them and their parents.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the musician in question is Elvis, kids today will totally get the appeal. I mean, how many parents love their kids' music? And how many kids have wanted to dress like or be like or sing like their favorite star? This one ought to make sense to anyone.

[Childrens Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim graphic novel is a treat for any kid who loves Elvis and/or any music that drives his/her parents CRAZY! The colorful, extremely animated drawings bring this charming memoir to life. Grades 4+. -Karen

[Tiffany Abston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll. In this fun book about Elvis Presley and music, students can learn about Elvis in this non-fiction book while still enjoying it. Mark is amazed by Elvis and wants to be just like him. He now has a role model which students can learn about as well.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the first person telling of how music changed their world. However, the print might be difficult for some younger students to read alone. But it would make a good read-aloud and discussion book.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the format of this one and enjoyed the story as well. I'm not sure of the appeal to kids, however. I, personally never saw the appeal of Elvis, so I'm not sure that today's kids will. Guess I'll have to try it out...

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book clearly illustrated that music affects the soul.

[Laura5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful sequential art autobiography.
I love the theme that hobbies and passions can enhance life and bring joy.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A walk down memory lane--a bit earlier than mine, though. This should be fun to use in school with the students.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comic format of a child's emergence into an Elvis Presley impersonator.

[Wendy Garland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel tells how Elvis made a big impression on the author/illustrator.

[Charlee Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Candi]

Ages 5 to 8

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back memories of growing up with Elvis on the radio. Great book.