01/15/2024
Legendary jazz musician Viola Smith (1912–2020) gets a much-deserved spotlight in Robbins’s ringing tribute. Onomatopoeic lines describe Smith’s childhood exposure to drums as the youngest member of the Smith Sisters Orchestra, which traveled the U.S. Midwest (“Viola tried out a RAT-TAT-TAT on the snare. A BANG-BANG-BANG on the tom-tom”). Even after the group disbands, Smith’s passion proves lifelong. Alliterative text highlights her asking other drummers for advice and her eventual prowess as “the fastest drummer,” the formation of famed women’s band the Coquettes, her door-opening wartime advocacy for female musicians, and more. Chapman’s retro-style multimedia artwork snaps with vibrant color that captures the volume of Smith’s music, and confetti and emanata celebrate the energy of her beats. Highlighting Smith’s collaborative instincts, this profile offers a resounding reason to “clap your hands for Viola Smith!” An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 7–9. (Mar.)
Chapman’s upbeat illustrations create movement, sound, and emotion constantly swirling around “the fastest girl drummer in the world.” With a decidedly mid-century feel, the art reverberates with Smith’s active enthusiasm, with ripples from cymbals, starbursts from the bass drum, and twirling lines that trace the paths of her perpetually in-motion mallets. Robbins and Chapman collectively convey the vivacity and joy of this exceptional musician, and back matter further describes Smith’s advocacy for women in music.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
Pulsing with energy, this lively book shines a much-deserved spotlight on an artist who became renowned playing an instrument most commonly associated with men. Appropriately, onomatopoeic words representing the sounds of drum crashes cavort playfully throughout the eye-popping watercolor, gouache, cut-paper, and digital illustrations. Bang the drums—loudly—for this arresting account of a gifted virtuoso.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
With endpapers of all the sticks and brushes one can use with a drum, this book opens right up to a promise that something fun and loud is about to happen. . . . As a biography, this captures the verve and brio of Smith’s love for her art, delivering the facts with a rat-a-tat pace that parallels the life Robbins is covering. The pages are great fun; Chapman’s expressive linework gives Smith’s face an elasticity that always lets readers know what she’s up to.
—School Library Journal
This upbeat account of exuberant and innovative drummer Viola Smith is a lively newcomer to journalist and award-winning picture-book author Robbins’ noteworthy collection of biographies of women pursuing big dreams with passion and persistence. . . . As dynamic as Viola’s drumming, Chapman’s art vibrates with bright colors in retro palettes, with inventive compositions pulsating across the page and energetic hand-drawn words to amp up the rhythm. . . . An engaging perspective on a vibrant life that inspires a reader to find her own unique beat.
—Booklist
Legendary jazz musician Viola Smith (1912–2020) gets a much-deserved spotlight in Robbins’s ringing tribute. . . . Chapman’s retro-style multimedia artwork snaps with vibrant color that captures the volume of Smith’s music, and confetti and emanata celebrate the energy of her beats. Highlighting Smith’s collaborative instincts, this profile offers a resounding reason to “clap your hands for Viola Smith!”
—Publishers Weekly
The subject is entertaining and the tone inviting, two major draws for a picture book biography, and the appeal is all the more helped by the energetic, cheerful art. There’s not a still scene to be found in the watercolor and gouache illustrations, with swirly ribbons of music moving through riots of color accompanied by flashing stars of beats and bangs.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
What a thrilling way to tell the story of a thrilling woman! The pages come alive, bursting with Viola Smith’s energy. Kudos to Dean Robbins and Susanna Chapman for this vibrant collaboration, which tells the story of a powerful musician who fell in love with the drums and led the charge for all female musicians to follow.
—Mindy Abovitz Monk, publisher of Tom Tom, the magazine for female drummers, and director of Hit Like a Girl, the international contest for female drummers
Famous men dominate the history of jazz. But it is often unknown women who play it, like the drummer Viola Smith, who should be far better known today than she is. This book about that wonderful drummer tells a compelling story, about the power of women and the power of the music they make.
—Simon Adams of Jazz Journal
I’m excited that kids will get to know my great aunt Viola Smith through The Fastest Drummer. This bold, vibrant book evokes her talent as a musician and her courage in pursuing her dream to become one of the first professional female drummers. It will inspire young readers to pursue their own dreams, whatever they happen to be.
—Janet Furtak, grandniece of Viola Smith
The Fastest Drummer tells a marvelous story with captivating illustrations, and it well represents my aunt Viola Smith. As the first recognized American professional female drummer, she was an inspiration to musicians around the world, and the book will be similarly inspiring for young readers.
—Dennis Bartash, nephew of Viola Smith
02/01/2024
Gr 1–3—With endpapers of all the sticks and brushes one can use with a drum, this book opens right up to a promise that something fun and loud is about to happen. Then the title page appears where there are musical instruments and girls with curls. We see brushstrokes swirl, notes twirl, and sounds seem to rise from the paper. The book has not started, officially, but readers will be all in for the story of the Smith Sisters Orchestra: five strong, but they're considering adding a drummer—the sixth sister, Viola. She tries the snare, the tom-tom, the ride cymbal, and the hi-hats. She takes to the drums ferociously and the sisters entertain, adding two more siblings until they are eight sisters, traveling and performing across the Midwest in the 1920s. As the other sisters grow up and lose interest, Smith continues, always learning more, getting faster, playing through World War II, uplifting other female performers, and still drumming as a 100-year-old. As a biography, this captures the verve and brio of Smith's love for her art, delivering the facts with a rat-a-tat pace that parallels the life Robbins is covering. The pages are great fun; Chapman's expressive linework gives Smith's face an elasticity that always lets readers know what she's up to. It's practically a primer on drums and their parts. But our heroinr starts loud and ends loud. Every page is frenetic and there's no arc. Children will love the tumble through these pages, and then they'll be on to the next thing. VERDICT It's a gutsy biography that shouts to be loved, but it may be a very special one-time performance.—Ginnie Abbott
★ 2024-01-05
Robbins and Chapman profile an extraordinary percussionist.
Viola Smith wondered what instrument she could play in the Smith Sisters Orchestra along with her five siblings. She tried drums and cymbals and was hooked! After Papa taught her to hold the drumsticks properly, she joined her sisters as they played exuberant jazz tunes in his Wisconsin ballroom; patrons loved dancing to Viola’s spitfire rhythms. Thirteen-year-old Viola sought other drummers’ advice and drummed faster the more she practiced. In time, Viola’s sisters stopped playing, but she carried on, anxious to play professionally—tough for a woman in the 1930s. To change minds about female musicians’ abilities, Viola formed her own women’s band. The group became renowned, and Viola was dubbed “the fastest girl drummer in the world.” Wanting to help other female musicians, she wrote a magazine article when World War II started, encouraging big-name bands to hire women to replace servicemen. Viola herself performed with world-class bands and drummers. She started a solo act and played with symphony orchestras. Viola Smith was still drumming at age 100! Pulsing with energy, this lively book shines a much-deserved spotlight on an artist who became renowned playing an instrument most commonly associated with men. Appropriately, onomatopoeic words representing the sounds of drum crashes cavort playfully throughout the eye-popping watercolor, gouache, cut-paper, and digital illustrations.
Bang the drums—loudly—for this arresting account of a gifted virtuoso. (author’s note, musical terms, resources) (Informational picture book. 5-8)
