Jukebox

Interesting idea but is a little all over the place and uses Black people and their music as props for the main character’s story. There’s an uncomfortable scene with a hungry, seemingly unhoused person. Random mentions or themes of bisexuality, dyslexia, and hearing loss don’t smoothly tie into the story. This book tries to do too much and doesn’t succeed on most levels. You can skip this one.

When I first heard of a new book coming from Nidhi Chanani, the author and illustrator of Pashmina, I was overjoyed. Jukebox is an inviting graphic novel experience, told in this creator’s visual style. It is an exploration of music and identity through words and pictures, and even through time and place.As the pages unfold, Chanani takes us into Shahi’s world, revealing character to us through dialogue and even wordless pages. There is life, emotion, anxiety, and loss woven into this human story, all with music homage throughout the pages. There is also a magical turn in the book that works well for the overall narrative and opens up new possibilities, allowing the reader to travel through history. This move affords lots of opportunities for classroom conversations and directions for learning more.Jukebox is visually appealing, well-developed in terms of story, and a beautiful introduction for readers who have not experienced the transformative and transporting qualities of musical voices like Bessie Smith, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and more.

Jukebox opens up new worlds that stretch the imagination. I enjoyed how deftly the graphic novel weaved music, art, pop culture, and family dynamics into one adventure. I felt like I was just a few steps behind the cousins and eavesdropping as their relationship blossomed through each new challenge. You have a good sense that the girls will find Shaheen's dad but an unexpected plot twist at the end was a fun surprise. It's a great story for the target age group to read on their own but I can easily picture an older sister or brother reading the book aloud to younger siblings - and of course letting their eyes linger on the action-packed panels. I highly recommend Jukebox as a great summer book list read before school begins.

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)Jukebox is one of those graphic novels where I can't get over how fun the premise is. Not only do jukeboxes bring on all the nostalgia, but the idea of being transported in time? Love it. But what I ended up loving even more was the relationship between Shaheen and her cousin, Tannaz. Chanani weaves together a story about friendship and family. Jukebox is able to both touch upon the dangers of time travel, and the ways we can't steal from history, with conversations about family and regret.

I had been waiting for this book since it was announced. Received my copy on June 25th and could not put it down. I love Pocky in the book. Love cousins love for each other. Wonderful to incorporate love for American music by Bangladeshi immigrants which is overlooked by most. A little magical twist to imagination is awesome. Being an immigrant myself and not too much in music, this was a start or me to understand American music, I also love that publisher has the link to all the music in Spotify. High five to the author/illustratorHighly recommend it

Jukebox was a beautiful story. It was captivating and full of mystery. More importantly, it provided a lovely platform for the history of music. As a first generation immigrant, I do not have a well rounded understanding of musical history in the United States. Jukebox provided a wonderful introduction to my inquisitive seven year old and myself. This combined with Nidhi Chanani's trademark beautiful visuals and you have a graphic novel that transcends age and musical literacy. I have bought 4 copies of the book to donate to school libraries and plan on getting more to give as gifts. I highly recommend this book!