[Welcome to the EL Book Introductions series. These posts are all short (<180 words) introductions/reviews of books in the EL library. They focus on telling you what we think will be interesting for you, a college student and English learner, so use them to help you find the right book for you. You can also use the tags to find books about topics you might be interested in.]
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How do you write about music? One of the strengths of comic books is their use of color and shape to represent sound. This is one of the most important aspects of Chasin’ the Bird, which tells the story of a short period in Charlie Parker’s life. Charlie Parker was one of the most important saxophonists in jazz history. He was a pioneer of bebop. He was also a philosopher, a womanizer, and a drug addict.
This book is made up of several chapters. Each chapter is told by a different person in Charlie’s life and gives a different perspective on who he was. The art style of each chapter changes with the characters’ perspectives, so each chapter really stands alone. The pictures are full of color, and Charlie’s words will make you think.
My two cents: A good read if you are interested in jazz, US history, or just want to read a biography of an important but complicated character.
