When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop Reviews

• 
  Moe

  This book has many problems. Lets start with the title. I don't think that it is accurate to say that during the Harlem Renaissance the "Beat was born". Music has been around forever; we all know that. people where teaching themselves rhythm and such FAR before DJ Kool Herc developed the first turntables. Another thing that got me pissed was that it just seemed like something that would be handed to a 2nd grader who had to do a brief school project on music and/or had to write about an artist. The book was more focused on Herc's early years and home life more than the development of the beat, which was what the title said it would be about. All in all, the artwork was that rigid-lined hipster scribble that makes you just want to gag, and the story itself wasn't that good. I would only suggest this to somebody who needs to do a "brief" school paper on music and has to use "textual evidence" from a KIDS COLOR BOOK. Although, I don't think you will find yourself in that situation anytime soon.
• 
  Zoe's Human

  This is a wonderful story for a children's book. However, it misses the mark on being suitable for any particular level. It looks like a picture book. It reads mostly like an early-reader chapter book without the chapters. Yet, at times, it goes beyond that into the earliest levels of middle-grade nonfiction. In the end, it is too wordy for a picture book, too dry for an early-reader, and too simple for middle-grade.
• 
  Michelle Schnell

  Reflection on ONE: Text to text, text to self, text to world connection with the book:
  
  Text-to-Text: This text would connect very nicely with A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin. They both tell the story of someone having a passion for something and following his dreams, not giving up on them. These two books in the same unit would be amazing: art and music being created by African Americans who have not traditionally been credited with making significant contributions when, actually, they have been behind some of the biggest artistic movements in American history!
  
  
  Write six discussion questions using all six stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy:
  
  REMEMBERING
  
  List two things that DJ Kool Herc changed about music to make it sound new and unique.
  
  APPLYING
  
  What questions would you ask DJ Kool Herc about how he makes his music?
  
  EVALUATING
  
  Why is it better that people keep creating new music and new forms of music? Why is it better than just sticking to the same music we already have?
  
  UNDERSTANDING
  
  Retell the story of how DJ Kool Herc came to be known as the man who created Hip Hop?
  
  ANALYZING
  
  What evidence can you find in the story that people like the new music he created?
  
  CREATING
  
  How would you rewrite the story of DJ Kool Herc from the point of view of one of the people at the dance part who are hearing his music, his beats, for the first time?
  
  An adapted book review citation:
  (1 July 2013). Booklist.
  
  http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#
  
  
• 
  Tina

  
  This review was originally posted on As Told By TinaI’ve been on a mission to read more diversely to the Littles. I recently saw When the Beat Was Born on different lists I found for diverse reads and was once again lucky that my library had it.
  
  I mainly borrowed this book for myself. I’ve always loved to learn the history of Hip Hop and who the pioneers are.
  
  When The Beat Was Born was a pretty good book about how DJ Kool Herc early life influenced his music. I also loved the illustrations and how they related to the story. They were very colorful and I felt it brought the story together.
  
  My littles weren’t as interested in this book but I think its because they don’t really listen to hip hop or understand the history of it. I personally really enjoyed it.
  
• 
  Edward Sullivan

  Great story about how Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc created Hip Hop in the Bronx in the early 1970s.
• 
  Ms Threlkeld

  Interesting history of DJ Herc's influence on hip hop music. Very stylized illustrations. Would appeal to intermediate students who want to learn more about music.
• 
  Dana

  I learned a lot from reading this. I have zero background in the history of hip hop, however, so your mileage may vary. I actually wanted a bit, more, though. I wound up looking up DJ Kool Herc on Wikipedia to find out why he wasn't still active in the 1980s, and I feel the author could have included that detail in the book. I understand it's a children's book, but kids can handle the truth. The artwork is really engaging. I'm not sure how I'll use this in my classroom, but I often bring in children's books to tell complex histories in a simple way.
• 
  Tasha

  Clive had loved music since he was a child. He lived in Kingston, Jamaica and loved to listen to DJs at the parties in his neighborhood. He was too young to attend, but he watched them set up before the parties and dreamed of becoming a DJ himself. When he was 13, Clive moved to New York City with his mother. That was where he started to play sports and got the nickname “Hercules” due to his size. He was soon known as Kool Herc. When his father got a sound system, Kool Herc became a DJ at a party he threw with his sister. Herc noticed that people loved to dance during the parts of the songs with no lyrics, so he found a new way of playing the records that extended that part of the song. He started calling out the names of his friends in the crowd. Soon he was creating the music that led to a new style of dance: breakdancing. And that’s how hip hop was born.
  
  Hill tells this story of a legendary DJ with a mix of straight forward tone and rhythmic writing. There is nothing overt in his rhythm, just a wonderful beat that the entire book moves to. Hill clearly ties DJ Kool Herc to the entire hip hop movement from the very beginning of his book through to the end. He traces the connections and makes them clear and firm, just like Herc did with the connections to the giant speakers to get them to work.
  
  The illustrations have a wonderful groove as well. This is Taylor’s first picture book and I hope he does more. His images have a wonderful richness of color without being dark at all. They also merge strong graphic qualities into the images, making them really sing.
  
  A great nonfiction picture book biography, this book will help fill in gaps in library collections and will speak to the history of the music kids are listening to right now. Appropriate for ages 7-9.
  
• 
  Destinee

  This is a fun picture book biography about one of the first hip hop DJs. It shows how DJ Kool Herc grew up in Jamaica, moved to the Bronx, and found a way to make dance parties even more fun. DJ Kool Herc was more of a facilitator and less a musician, but he definitely made important contributions. He introduced a new way to spin records, making the breaks last longer for "break" dancers and he popularized something DJs in Jamaica were doing: "toasting" or chanting over the beat when they played records, which evolved into what we call rapping.
  
  There's an author's note in the back with a timeline that will put Herc's story in context for young readers. I guess I do have one criticism, which is the author's examples of how popular hip hop has become:
  
  "...no one could have imagined that a few desperately poor kids would reinvent American culture. Who could have imagined that a hip hop/jazz infusion group called The Roots would become the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Who could have imagined that rap would fuse with African High Life into an all-new musical form called Hip Life? Who could have imagined that a rapper would be invited to perform at the White House?"
  
  Hip hop is insanely popular and the best examples the author could come up with are the house band on a late night TV show and a musical form I've never heard of? Come on! The White House example is excellent. The other two, not so much. He should have picked more meaningful examples, like how Jay-Z has had more number one albums than any other solo artist in U.S. history. Kids are not impressed by Jimmy Fallon or Hip Life (whatever that is).
  
  
• 
  Sarah

  Look at the cover to this book. What is the boy doing? What do you think the book When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill is going to be about? What is a DJ? DJ stands for disc jockey or someone who is in charge of the music. Who likes Hip Hop? Rap? Well let’s get started reading about DJ Kool Herc. (Read page 1-2). What do the words scat, jive or twang mean? Hip Hip Hop. Hippity Hop. What do these words remind you of? All of these words describe sounds or rhythms. Do you think this is important for a book about a DJ? Let’s read on and learn about DJ Kool Herc and how he started Hip Hop.
  
  
  Opening Moves:
  Prompt predictions based on the title.
  Tell the meaning of a key word.
  Read some of the text to engage attention.
  
  Rationale:
  This book can definitely relate to all students because of the Hip Hop and Rap connection. This book fits my text set theme, “How musicians make their mark” because it is about a boy who is not afraid to start a new type of music in a new place. He uses his creativity to change the way music sounds through his sound system and record player. He brings in music from another culture to America and shares it with anyone who will listen.
  
  
  Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2006). Engaging readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud. Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, k-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
  
• 
  Gretchen

  Text to world - When the Beat was Born makes me realize the impact music has on the world. There are many different types of music as there are cultures in the world. Each is unique, but one is not more important than another.
  Remembering – What were the names of the characters in the story?
  Understanding – Can you summarize the story of DJ Kool Herc?
  Applying – If you were able to meet Clive/DJ Kool Herc, what questions would you ask him?
  Analyzing – If Clive/DJ Kool Herc hadn’t moved to New York City from Jamaica, how do to you think the creation of hip-hop would be different?
  Evaluating – How important is DJ Kool Herc to the creation of hip-hop?
  Creating – With all the technology advancements since the turntable, can you design a device to make being a DJ even easier?
  (2013, July). Booklist.
  http://www.titlewave.com/search?SID=d...
  Corretta Scott King Book Award – 2014 John Steptoe Award for New Talent
  
• 
  Christina Getrost

  Picture book about the development of hip hop. Tells of Kool Herc's childhood in Jamaica, listening outside the "biggest and baddest" parties thrown by local DJ, then moving to New York City as a kid and becoming a DJ himself. Kids who danced during the instrumental "break" of the song became popular and so he used 2 records on 2 turntables to extend the break and provide more opportunity for the "break dancers." He called out to the audience during the breaks, hired kids to rap along with him, becoming his emcees (MCs). Shows how he inspired other DJs and rappers, etc. Does not give full life story, is good introduction to the musical style, not a complete history. Has nice bibliography and includes DVds and websites. Illustrations are colorful, realistic, stylized design similar to the music.
• 
  Kendra

  Absolutely stunning. I was thrilled that this won the Bluebonnet Award. A beautifully illustrated story that describes the birth of hip hop, with Jamaican artist Clive Campbell, aka DJ Kool Herc, as its talented epicenter.
  
  As an adult, I felt like I learned heaps of things I'd never thought about before (Kool trademarked the "break"--an extended loop of the musical breaks between lyrical sections in songs--and by extension, created the fertile soil from which sprung "break"-dancing). I do wonder if children would be as enthralled by this book as excited, hip adults, but in an age in which children's publishing is finally, finally tiptoeing toward giving cultures of color their due, I'm thrilled that this phenomenal book is in the libraries and on the awards lists.
  
  Highly recommended for music lovers of all ages.
• 
  J

  When the Beat Was Born is a surprisingly educational and informative picture book about the early days of the hip hop scene and someone who helped bring together people through a lifestyle. This filled in some gaps in my own understanding of the creation of hip hop, break dancing, and the influence on the current scene. The illustrations have the feel of graffiti art fitting to the topic and go with the text. Overall, a wonderfully informative book that includes a bibliography for people who want to know more and a timeline of important events in hip hop in the 1970s and 80s.
• 
  Stay Fetters

  DJ Kool Herc was born in Jamaica and always wanted to go to the big parties. He would watch them set up and wheel in crates and crates of records. He was envious.
  In his teens, he moved to New York to be with his mum. He changed his name to make himself seem cooler. Kool Herc stuck.
  After receiving a huge sound system, he plugged and unplugged cords to get a huger sound. After that, history was made.
  This was missing something and I can't quite put my finger on it. It lacked in some parts and was over the top in others. Still a cool way to introduce kids to something bigger and better.
• 
  Karen Witzler

  I enjoyed this non-fiction picture book which tells the story of DJ Kool Herc and the origins of hip-hop in 1970's Bronx. Carrick's detailed description of how the new form of music and dance was born is complemented by Theodore Taylor III's wonderful illustrations which are engaging and rendered in energetic colors. Author's notes and timeline are at the end of the story. Elementary age -- but I learned something and enjoyed the story,too.
• 
  Alicia

  With more narrative on each page that's as much picture book as biography, it's a historical walk and biographical understanding of DJ Kool Herc and how he became a DJ legend with his musical beats.
  
  Pictures are vivid and the storytelling is fantastic about the beauty and fantasy of music and turning it into something you love.
• 
  Paige Y.

  Interesting book about the origins of hip-hop.there were a few places where I thought the text bled into the illustrations. I also would have liked for the afterward to include information about DJ Kook Herc after the late 1970's.
• 
  Emily

  This book is too short for its subject. It attempts to explain "breaks" in songs in one sentence. Perhaps, parents who are hip hop aficionados will enjoy reading this to their children. But for someone without a knowledge of hip hop, the book was more confusing than informative.
• 
  SaraLaLa

  There's nothing wrong with this book, but I guess I'm just not interested in the birth of hip hop. When the Beat Was Born is informational and has cool illustrations. It also includes a timeline for the history of hip hop and rap at the back of the book.
• 
  Krista Wilkewitz

  Biography
  The pages in this book are incredible! They are vibrant with color and draw you into the story.
  Grades 2-5
  This book could be used before a writing piece or to show children how different communities in New York looked and how DJ Kool Her helped them.
  
• 
  Villain E

  This is so good. A must for both kids and adults. Great details presented well. Great comic book style art. A lot of information I didn't know. The only negative is that this really needs music accompaniment to illustrate some of the points.
• 
  Donalyn

  A fascinating description of Hip-Hop's origins and one the first well-known DJs, Kool Herc.
• 
  Hans F.8B

  amazing
• 
  Kelly Santamaria

  When the Beat was Born takes a glimpse into the life of Clive, better known now as, DJ Kool Herc. It begins with his younger life and follows him into his love for being a DJ. This biography shows his rise to fame and how he came to be credited as a creator in hip-hop.
  
  The reader may not immediately realize that they’re reading a biography by the use of figurative language and vivid pictures within. Children’s Literature, Briefly, provides critical criteria in recognizing juvenile biographies. The first is ensuring that it is accurate and authentic. The reader can tell based on the bibliography at the end of the book, that the author did extensive research to write this book. Second, is that the subject of the biography be interesting. I personally feel that the subject is interesting, and if a child is unsure about DJ Kool Herc, this book will hopefully inspire them to look into the music. Next, it is important that the subject is presented as an actual human being, while this book doesn’t dig deep into feelings or emotions, it still presents the subject realistically. Finally, it is necessary that the written text is engaging for readers and that the illustrations help the reader understand the social context in which DJ Kool Herc lived. The text and illustrations flow together perfectly in this story and give the reader a feel of the time period.
  
  I would recommend this book for young readers. It is easy to read, the illustrations along with the text give the reader the ability to feel like they were there when this was happening. Check out some other books by the same author,
  Laban Carrick Hill. These books are for an older youth audience,
  America Dreaming: How Youth Changed America in the 60's or
  Harlem Stomp!: A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance.
• 
  Ashlie Fessenden

  When the Beat Was Born by: Laban Carrick Hill
  
  This book takes you on the journey of the rise of Kool Herc and his transformation into becoming a DJ. Join in reading about the positive affects Clive Campbell made on defining culture and originating history in the Bronx.
  
  Children's Literature Briefly states that partial biographies are more focused in purpose than complete biographies. This genre only tends to focus on a segment of the subject's life rather than the entire span. This text gave readers a collective picture book filled with visually matching illustrations and an overall summary of the start up of Kool Herc.
  
  Grade Level - 1st-5th
  If you enjoyed this book I recommend Jazz by: Walter Meyers
• 
  Tamyka

  This is a middle grades picture book. For that purpose it’s worth adding to the library. There are so few middle grades books about hip hop’s origins and Kool Herc so worth having.
• 
  Mike

  
  I can’t say enough about When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop. Let’s start with what a crowning testament to how far biographies for young readers have come. When I think about bio projects from elementary and middle school it looked like this: you chose a subject, you had to find a few different books about that subject, so that subject then had to be John F. Kennedy, Amelia Earhart, or Martin Luther King Jr. So, how pleasing is it to see a books published about obscure characters who have made subtle contributions that go on to fundamentally enhance our culture? Pleasing.
  
  For too long conventional wisdom dictated that informational texts needed to be a straightforward pouring of factual material. Creativity was for fiction. Teachers used to worry that if you weren’t using a non-fiction tone, students would be too easily confused, or they wouldn’t attend to informational aspect. In When The Beat Was Born, we’re talking about a boy who grew up dreaming of rocking the party. A sanitized factual account would undermine the power and beauty of Kool Herc’s story. In fitting with the concept of music’s role in celebrations, Laban Carrick Hill conveys the information in an almost lyrical fashion.
  
  Kool Herc’s contribution to music was his innovative use of two turntables to extend the segments of a song not containing lyrics.
  
  “KJ Kool Herc noticed that dancers danced crazy hard during the breaks in the song when the lyrics ended and the music bumped and thumped. Herc knew that’s what dancers wanted so he plugged in two turntables instead of one.”
  
  Even if the concept of a book about the DJ who laid the ground work for sampling isn’t your cup of tea, everybody should take notice of how effectively Hill’s tone reflects his subject matter. But make no mistake, this story is more than that of a DJ. Through the lens of Kool Herc’s story, we’re presented with themes of invention and innovation, society and culture, and above all, the persuasive power of art.
  
  Then, there’s the matter of Theodore Taylor’s illustrations. While I’m by no means qualified to talk about their magnificence in terms of style, the dimension of understanding they add to the text is what really leaps off the page for me. Take a line, “He imagined himself as a DJ...” In a single spread, Taylor creates a magical world where miniature character dangle their legs off giants stacks of records or dance atop enormous speakers and high above it all there’s Clive, still a boy barely able to reach the dials, in control of it all. And on the opposite page the line, “Little Clive really wanted to be a DJ.” stands alone. Again, a non-fiction text that doesn’t underestimate the importance of communicating the allure of the magical influence of music. Simply put, these are illustrations worthy of Caldecott attention.
  
  Finally, there’s the matter of the author’s note. Especially with non fiction, I’m especially interested in the author’s connection to their subject. Hill’s tale might be the most fascinating one I’ve heard yet. While researching the sales of laundry detergent in Harlem and the Bronx, “ I discovered a youth movement that was the antithesis of gang violence.” This is a note that takes the reader through the importance of the subject to the writer, the importance of the story in the context of its time, and leaves us with the importance of how it’s affected our world today, which Taylor does masterfully by pointing out that The Roots are the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
  
  Today, the Common Core asks middle grade students to integrate information from multiple texts to speak knowledgeably about a subject. Using this idea, instead of assigning the traditional routine of reading two books about the same person, students can use a range of exceptional texts to understand a deeper commonality. And thankfully, there are master authors and illustrators out there to bring to life people and stories that can widen our interests and deepen our understanding of each other.