Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mother-son collaborators the Weatherfords (Kin) present a lyrical ode to hip-hop music through a young protagonist who offers readers an invitation: "You can learn to rap from me." Via freestyle-feeling rhymes, the narrator outlines needed supplies ("a pencil and some paper./ Cop a notebook, too, 'cause you're gonna need it later") and discusses how to write "what you care about" ("Shout out your hopes and heroes. Boast and don't be shy./ Write what matters most to you./ Keep it fresh and fly"). Martinez, making a picture book debut, follows the protagonist from toddlerhood to childhood in bold illustrations that get at hip-hop's vital energy. One spread showcases a tree growing with words in the branches, accompanied by the empowering lines, "As you write, remember that rap is poetry./ With rhythm, rhyme, and flow, your words can grow a tree." It's a rhythmic text that offers craft advice ("metaphors, alliteration, idioms, similes,/ personification, puns, slammin' soliloquies") alongside a fervent promise of creative fulfillment ("In the hip-hop zone,/ your words can set you free!"). Characters are portrayed with brown skin. An author's note and glossary conclude. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--A young African American boy who was "born holding a mic, pad, and pen" guides readers through how to write their own raps. First, grab supplies, a pencil and paper, or a notebook. Next, figure out what to write about. They could write about what they care about, what motivates them, or even where they're from. In their raps, they don't have to be shy and can boast as much as they want. To take their raps to the next level, they can incorporate literary devices like figurative language, simile, and onomatopoeia. They can choose which rhyme scheme or rhythm they like best. Raps are a dynamic art form that they can craft in whatever they see fit. Rap It Up! encourages aspiring poets and rap artists to pick up their pens and write. The picture book guides readers through a step-by-step process to writing raps or any other creative pursuit. Through the medium of hip-hop and rap, readers are introduced to literary terms that will help buff up their bars and may even give them the confidence to speak their words out loud. The textured illustrations combine a multitude of artistic mediums that perfectly illustrate all that can be encompassed in a rap. Brown-skinned characters of varied skin tones and hair textures appear throughout. VERDICT This ode to hip-hop and rap is a perfect partnership between music and literature; a great purchase for your library's picture book collection.--Myiesha Speight
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Review by Horn Book Review
"My mom claims I was rapping before I could speak. / Matter of fact, I freestyled eight days a week." A young MC serves as the narrator of this ode to hip-hop, which introduces readers to rap as an art form that is primarily about wordplay. An early illustration shows three kids drawing on a wall with the word hyperbole incorporated into the art. The word is then defined on the following page, providing an important lesson about language: "Remember that rap is poetry." The text includes several terms that reinforce the use of literary devices -- alliteration, onomatopoeia, and personification -- all of which are defined in an appended glossary. The young protagonist provides a step-by-step guide to writing and performing rap lyrics, with many instructions written on what appears to be notebook paper. Martinez's illustrations in a dreamlike watercolor style include some classic hallmarks of rap: a crate full of records, a cassette tape, a large boom box, shell-top sneakers, and plenty of microphones. The young characters' faces are expressive and lifelike. One particularly effective double-page spread depicts a tree whose branches sprout words and verses. An author's note by Jeffery Boston Weatherford is appended. Marva Anne HintonMarch/April 2025 p.59 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A talented youngster schools readers in this rhyming introduction to hip-hop. Prolific author Carole Boston Weatherford and her son, spoken word poet Jeffery Boston Weatherford, have teamed up for a tutorial on composing and performing rap lyrics. The narrator, a swaggering Black child who was "born holding a mic, pad, and pen," is the perfect teacher. As the setting shifts from a living room to the child's neighborhood, the park, and the train station, the text introduces many poetic devices and rap-specific terminology (defined in a glossary at the end), starting with hyperbole: "Once I took the mic, I rapped for five years straight." The authors encourage readers to write about what matters to them, to practice, and to perform. Reading the lively text aloud is an accessible and fun way to practice rapping. Martinez's joyful illustrations employ both primary and pastel colors, shading, collagelike layers, and words to create a child's creative world with an irresistible sense of depth and mood. Pieces of lined yellow paper are woven throughout the spreads to hold text and remind readers of the tools of the creative process. Old-school hip-hop gets a shoutout with depictions of records, boom boxes, and cassette tapes. A thrilling ode to rap and the creative process. (note from Jeffery Boston Weatherford, glossary)(Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
