Books with Beats

Do you hear that? A hip-hop beat has taken over at Orlando Family Stage this fall in P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical! 

In the play, P.Nokio receives a Book Of Rhyme that teaches the children of Hip-Hopia everything they need to know for life through the power of style, swagger, and soul! There are so many other books that YOU can read to learn about the “old school” and “new school” styles of hip-hop before you come to the play! Check these out and get your tickets HERE!

Packed with modern, charming illustrations, including a pull-out poster for kids to color, A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop is the perfect book for young students who want to know more about the world of hip-hop and rap, as well as for parents who want to introduce their children to some of their favorite artists. Celebrate some of hip-hop’s biggest names while learning about the roots of their musical sounds and the four main pillars of the genre: deejaying, mc’ing, break dancing, and graffiti art.

Author-illustrator C. G. Esperanza delivers a celebratory ode to graffiti and the Boogie Down Bronx through an infectious read-aloud beat and colorful illustrations that leap right off the page! The city is alive with vibrant art in every corner of the parks, the shops, the trains. But most people are too busy to see it—or worse, choose to ignore it! When three children stop to marvel at the art around their community, they realize it’s up to them to show everyone else how truly special it is when art and reality dance together so seamlessly.

Boogie boogie, y’all.

The city boogied all day.

Busy, busy, busy,

Till one kid stopped to say,

Woah, woah, woah!

Look at the art on the wall!

In the 1970s, many said the Bronx was just a pile of rubble, but for a shy kid like Manolo, it was alive with rhythm and music. He grew up with salsa dance parties at home and DJs battling on turntables on the street. Inspired by these new beats and the moves of James Brown, neighborhood boys and girls started dancing with a mix of twists, slides, and shuffles. The rhythm of the Toprock. Drop of the Six-step. Wiggle of the Worm. A new dance style called breaking was on the rise, and Manolo wanted to be a part of it.

Debut author Linda J. Acevedo was inspired to write this story from the many b-boys and b-girls whose love of dance propelled them to create an innovative and groundbreaking new form of dance. Coupled with award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison’s sinuous and pulsating art, Breaking to the Beat! is an energizing ode to the Boogie Down Bronx and to Hip Hop–a movement that would forever change the course of music, art, and culture.

Karma and her daddy love to make music together! Karma sets up the rhyme and daddy finishes it. Together, they’re the perfect team! But when it’s time for Karma to write her daddy a rap for his birthday all on her own, she can’t quite make it perfect. What rhymes with banana anyway? Told with heart and humor, Karma soon realizes that she never has to do anything alone as long as she has daddy by her side.

Meet Darryl, a quiet third grader with big hopes and dreams. He loves writing and wants to share his talents, but he’s shy—and the kids who make fun of his glasses only make things worse. Will the school talent show be his chance to shine? Darryl’s Dream, by iconic performer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, is a story about finding confidence, facing bullies, and celebrating yourself. This full-color picture book is certain to entertain children and parents with its charming art and important message.

Take a wondrous alphabetical journey through the glorious history of hip-hop in this kid-friendly introduction to the music that defined a generation. Featuring clever rhymes and graffiti-style drawings by legendary artist Mr. Kaves, Hip-Hop Alphabet uses the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to educate kids about classic icons (LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Jay-Z), as well as essential elements of the music and culture (DJs, microphones, and turntables). Learn the ABCs with a beat!

Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a celebration of poetry with a beat. Poetry can have both a rhyme and a rhythm. Sometimes it is obvious; sometimes it is hidden. But either way, make no mistake, poetry is as vibrant and exciting as it gets. And when you find yourself clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you know you’ve found poetry with a beat!

Celebrate with remarkable poets, including: Eloise Greenfield, Mos Def, Lucille Clifton, Oscar Brown Jr., Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou, Queen Latifah, Nikki Grimes, Walter Dean Myers, Common, and, of course, Nikki Giovanni. “With its archival recordings of poems read by the poets themselves, [Hip Hop] reminds everyone that poetry springs from an oral tradition.”—Publishers Weekly

Mama says, “Lollipop, stop! Stop!
Jumping snapping nonstop.”
Arms and shoulders pop ‘n’ lock.
Lollie’s dancing hip-hop.

Watch as Lollipop grooves her way through her bedtime routine, brushing her teeth to the beat and shimmying into pjs. She sways along with her sister, her parents, and even some enthusiastic pets until, finally, Lollie closes her eyes and dances through her dreams. Susan Montanari and Caldecott Honor winner Brian Pinkney offer a playful bedtime read-aloud that perfectly captures the joy of music, movement, and family.

HIP is a turtle who raps very slowly. HOP is a bunny who raps superfast. Together they are Hip & Hop, the coolest rap duo in Oldskool County.

This hilarious collection features two stories that remix the fable of the tortoise and the hare, combining comic book elements with short raps, traditional narration, and the coolest characters on the block.

A generation voicing

stories, hopes, and fears

founds a hip-hop nation.

Say holler if you hear.

The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that created the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world ’round.

Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes dreams of becoming a world-famous rapper that everyone calls Notorious D.O.G. But for now, he’s just a Chicago fifth grader who’s small for his age and afraid to use his voice. Simon prefers to lay low at school and at home, even though he’s constantly spitting rhymes in his head. But when his new teacher assigns the class an oral presentation on something that affects their community, Simon must face his fears. With some help from an unexpected ally and his neighborhood crew, will Simon gain the confidence to rap his way to an A and prove that one kid can make a difference in his ‘hood?

Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc.

On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill’s book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.

Welcome to the cypher!

Now huddle up nice and snug.

You feel that circle around you?

Well, that’s a hip hop hug!” 

Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars” to proclaiming, “this is a voice that represents me!” As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids—illustrated in Awuradwoa Afful’s bold, energetic style—gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom in this wonderful picture book debut that is perfect for reading aloud.