Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar Audiobook

Quotes

• “The story of grandparental attachment and personal growth is beautifully told and in no way relies for its impact on the fact that we’re getting it from the mouth, or keyboard, of Keith Richards…I think this book will resonate with both children and the gatekeepers of children’s books.”

  — New York Times Book Review

• “Decades before he became superstar lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones and a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Keith Richards was a little boy strumming with a new instrument. Almost from the first, he had an expert mentor: His gentle granddad Theodore Dupree was the member of a jazz big band. In this autobiographical illustrated book, Richards pays tribute to his grandfather (and, in significant ways, to all grandfathers).”

  — Barnes&Noble.com, editorial review

• “The accompanying CD proves Richards is as adept at telling bedtime stories as he is performing on stage.”

  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• "[The story] is all told so naturally and with such sweet verve that readers may not notice that this is the legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones…A CD of the author reading the story and playing a bit of ‘Malagueña’ is included, and it is pretty wonderful, too…A story of family love and lore and the magic of music personified in a way that’s utterly accessible to children—and their dazzled parents.” 

  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

• “Author and narrator Keith Richards, of the Rolling Stones, wins the listener over easily with his working-class English accent and unmistakable fondness for his topics—his first guitar and his beloved grandfather, Gus…Richards intersperses bits of ‘Malagueña’ in appropriate spots throughout the seven-minute story. And during a remembered visit to a London music shop, musician Steve Jordan, known for his collaborations with Richards, plays drums. Richards collaborated with other authors, but this is obviously his story, imbued with familiarity, warmth, and sincerity. We even get to hear him chuckle. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

  — AudioFile

• “This rocks, though the effect is more like being rocked in a grandparent’s arms.”

  — Booklist

• * "[The story] is all told so naturally and with such sweet verve that readers may not notice that this is the legendary guitarist of the Rolling Stones. The vibrant and evocative pictures are done by Richards' daughter...Over swathes of rich color she lays pen-and-ink drawings of figures and instruments, architectural details, free-floating musical notes--and cakes and tea things--that brilliantly carry the power of love and music into visual imagery. A CD of the author reading the story and playing a bit of "Malagueña" is included, and it is pretty wonderful, too. A beautiful example of artistic bookmaking, a story of family love and lore, and the magic of music personified in a way that's utterly accessible to children--and their dazzled parents.

  — Kirkus, starred review

• * "Theodora Richards, Keith's daughter, contributes fluid, inked sketches and other freestyle graphic elements that exude love and spontaneity. The accompanying CD proves Richards is as adept at telling bedtime stories as he is performing on stage.

  — Publishers Weekly, starred review

• This rocks, though the effect is more like being rocked in a grandparent's arms.

  — Booklist

• Beautifully told.

  — The New York Times