Hosea Plays on

Kathleen M. Blasi, Shane W. Evans (Illustrator)

$16.95

Publication Date: January 7th, 2020

Publisher:

Union Square Kids

ISBN:

9781454926832

Pages:

Description

This heartwarming picture book (based on a true story) depicts a day in the life of Hosea Taylor, a musician who--with his charm, talent, and generosity--brought joy to everyone he met.

Every day, Hosea takes the Number 42 bus into the city to play his shiny brass saxophone--and to hopefully earn enough money. Setting up in his favorite place, Hosea makes sweet music as people greet him with a smile, a little girl dances, and crowds surround him. A surprise ending reveals what the money is really for. Kathleen Blasi's delightful text and Shane Evan's colorful images capture the real-life closeness between the much-loved Hosea--who shared his passion for music and life with everyone--and his community.

An Author's Note explains how Blasi learned about Hosea Taylor (1948-2016), and what compelled her to write his story.

About the Author

Kathleen M. Blasi enjoys shining a light on the stories of everyday heroes. Active in the children's writing community, she is a former Co-Director of the Rochester Children's Book Festival, for which she received the 2015 New York State Reading Association Literacy Advocate Award. Kathleen lives with her family in Upstate NY, where, through writing workshops, she fosters the curiosity of young storytellers. Visit her online at kmblasi.com and on Twitter @kmblasi. Shane Evans is the illustrator of many picture books whose accolades range from being honored by First Lady Laura Bush at the 2002 National Book Festival to The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the Orbis Pictus Award(R) for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children. In 2012, he won the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustrators for Underground. Shane Evans lives in Kansas City, MO. For more information, please visit shaneevans.com.