The Long Gone Lonesome History of Country Music

by Bret Bertholf

Filled with incredible illustrations, this rollicking tour takes readers from the dawn of country music through the present. From country hair to country clothes, readers are taken on a journey through a rich cultural history, and along the way, they meet greats like Jimmie Rodgers, Minnie Pearl, and bluegrass musician Bill Monroe. Both thoroughly educational and laugh-aloud silly, this celebration of an American invention is a treasure for parents...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316523933
• ISBN13: 9780316523936
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
• Length: 56 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 9.8" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 6 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 6

Customer Reviews

Never tease a squeezel

Now I am not what you would call a big fan of country music. I know my basics, and I'm vaguely aware of its history, but truth be told country is not all the prevalent on my iPod. So the question I have to ask myself here is, do I feel sufficiently qualified to read and review a children's non-fiction picture book with the title, "The Long Gone Lonesome History of Country Music"? I mean, if I don't know my Charlie Rich from my Johnny Bond, how am I going to be able to sufficiently judge how well author/illustrator Bret Bertholf has convered this particular genre's highs and lows? In this particular case, I have my ever-loving, country listenin' husband to turn to. Side by side we read through Bertholf's book and came to a single conclusion. For all its flaws, and there are one or two, this is a jaw-dropping piece of history. The pictures are stunning (if occasionally difficult to make out), the facts always interesting, the history correct, and the storyline faithful. Add in the fact that Bertholf has managed to literally give face to almost every single person who ever even THOUGHT about singing about their mean-eyed cat and you've a book that looks, acts, and is like no other. Did you know that you might be a country singer and not even know it? It's true. And Bret Bertholf is going to show you why. Concentrating the whole of his attention on the American South, the book dips deep into the past to talk about how people would kill time in the olden days. There wasn't a lot to do, aside from creating your own music. Then, slowly, technology began to change everything. There was the radio and the record players. Those, in turn, led to the first country music star, Jimmie Rodgers. Time goes by and different musical forms like gospel, jazz, and honky tonks changed how the music sounded. WWII came, the singing cowboy was born, and Nashville grew and grew. With humorous asides, ridiculously in-depth pictures, and more than its fair share of humor, the book shows exactly how country music came to be, and where its future may lay someday. This is Bret Bertholf's first solo picture book and I would like to point out that the man has credentials out the wazoo. From the bookflap I've learned that not only can Mr. Bertholf yodel (no mean feat) but he's also a part of the group named Halden Woford and Hi-Beams. You may have heard them on A Prairie Home Companion in the past. The book reflects what is obviously his long-standing love for the heroes of the country world. Obviously at some point Mr. Bertholf thought to himself that it would be a shame to mention only some country music stars and not others. The solution? Endpapers. Starting with 1920, every year since that time is given one train car and one singer/musician sitting on top. Each person is presented like a well-rendered bobblehead doll, their features recognizable and (mostly) cheery. My husband assures me that in many cases, the year that a particular star rides does not always correspond to w