Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio

Golio, Gary. Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: a Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Clarion Books, 2010 $16.99. This biography of Hendrix follows Jimi’s life as a young boy and how his experiences shaped his view of the world and the desire to create sounds that paint pictures in your mind. It’s full of resources for more information on Hendrix as well as resources for alcohol and substance abuse, which is what ultimately led to Hendrix’s death. The story is great but even more remarkable are the illustrations. Steptoe used plywood to paint pictures of Hendrix and layered them on top of brightly colored multimedia backgrounds creating a layered effect that delights the readers. ESSENTIAL, ES, MS.