Stalebread Charlie and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band

Written by Michael Mahin · Illustrated by Don Tate

Homeless kids in 1895 New Orleans turn junk into music, changing their fate.

3.4 Goodreads · 46 ratings

40 pages· AD610L

$17.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1895 New Orleans, ten-year-old Stalebread Charlie and his friend Warm Gravy are homeless and hungry. Inspired by the idea that music feeds the soul, they craft instruments from discarded items. As their makeshift band plays, coins fill their hats, beignets fill their bellies, and music fills their souls. Can creativity and determination transform their lives? Discover this uplifting tale of resilience and ingenuity, where music becomes a lifeline and a path to hope.

From the publisher

It’s 1895, and ten-year-old Stalebread Charlie and his friend Warm Gravy roam the streets of New Orleans, homeless and hungry. Stalebread has heard folks say that music feeds the soul—and he wonders if it could also fill their bellies. Soon he and his friends are playing instruments made out of junk—a fiddle from a cigar box, a kazoo from a comb—until their hats are filled with coins, their bellies are filled with beignets, and their souls are filled with music. This inspiring make-lemonade-from-lemons tale includes author/illustrator notes about the real Stalebread and the research behind the book and a make-your-own-instrument activity.

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