Review: Vince Vance's Reader Rocks

As leader of the internationally known touring band Vince Vance & the Valiants, making time to pen a modern children's classic for families is an unlikely occurrence. But for the always-on-the-road Vance—a single father of two now-grown boys—the creation and publication of The Vince Vance Rock & Roll Reader marks a long-overdue testament to his life’s most important calling; namely, that of a loving parent.

In Search of Family Reading that Lasts

In a Sept. 17, 2008, telephone interview, Vance said the idea for the 180-page offering from Fullerton Books and Bottom-Up Media arose as a result of being a parent and reading to sons Christopher and Steven, one of whom has special needs. Part of the challenge, he noted, was often being unable to find a book that was fun for both parent and child, and also, one that was still of interest after more than a reading or two.

A longtime literacy advocate through his benefit performances, Vance said, “As a single parent, reading between father and son brought us closer and encouraged the habit of reading. But I also believed in the structure of a certain bedtime. … (And) I wanted books that were designed for family reading, and lots of it, not just books designed to be read once and then put on the shelf and be forgotten.”

From Tall Hair to Tall Tales

Subsequently, the hit-making performer-turned-children’s author has made sure his Rock & Roll Reader is chock-full of tiny, short and tall tales for all ages. From the 6" x 9" title’s intriguing cover art, which features a glimpse of Vance’s trademark 18-inch high hair, the uncommonly fun reader is long on giggles, grins and an array reading choices, from riddles, rhymes and brainteasers, to jokes, poems and bedtimes stories.

Plus, because author Vance understands that getting kids ready for bedtime is a ritual that sometimes varies in duration, the book contains a diverse reading collection that’s perfect for youngsters' sometimes-limited attention spans, as well as for parents who find themselves with less reading time than planned.

“One night, I’d have 30 minutes or more (to ready to my children), but other nights, much less time,” Vance explained, regarding the content selections. “Because of this, I saw the need for readers with both short and long pieces, where one could pick and choose selections while still respecting a young person’s bedtime schedule.”

A 2005 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Vance—beyond his own father-son reading experiences—said he was inspired by the enjoyment he derived from his own childhood-reading adventures. Books, he said, that were short on illustrations, but rich in creativity and stirring to the reader’s imagination, including fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Robert Louis Stevenson and Hans Christen Andersen, among others. Vance’s reader, in turn, is sparingly but aptly dotted with whimsical black-and-white illustrations from the artistic pen of Billy Looney.

Turn off the TV, Turn on Imaginations

“With the ease of turning on the TV, I believe a lot of the great pleasure of reading has been lost,” observed Vance, who holds both English and music degrees from Southeastern Louisiana University. “And it is my hope that this book will fortify young people’s reading ability throughout their youth, that they will treasure it, and perhaps, one day share it with their own children.”

Albeit a newer entry on the landscape of family and children's reading, The Vince Vance Rock & Roll Reader (ISBN: 0965291804)—true to its author's hopes—qualifies itself worthy of repeated readings, from one generation to the next.

Starting at $22 new, the title is available via its author and other online booksellers.

• Another article that may appeal to readers of this review is The Split Tongue Sparrow: A Review

Vince Vance Rock & Roll Reader

Drawing of Vince Vance by Bill Looney.

An illustration in Vance's book by Bill Looney.

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