This tribute to the innovative jazz keyboardist and band leader synthesizes brilliant paintings with a narrative that strikes just the right chords for its audience. ... Incorporating musical notation sheets into luminous watercolor-and-ink pictures, Raschka repeats their horizontal lines in piano strings, library bookshelves, city blocks and the very rectangularity of many compositions. The joyful palette--yellow, red, blue-green, sienna--and wildly gestural black ink celebrate Sun Ra's unique spirit. Unequivocally stellar.--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Raschka's chief metaphor is a rich one: Sun Ra (born Herman P. Blount) fancied himself as Saturn born, and thus his quizzical questioning of the world is depicted extraterrestrially... As an experience... [this book] definitely swings.--BooklistRaschka pictures Sun Ra and his Arkestra orchestra in chromatic gouache daubs and silhouette-black lowlights, bringing to mind Romare Bearden's sultry palette and mellifluous collages. Raschka acknowledges the social and musical influences on the innovative artist... [and] provides a selective list of recordings, encouraging readers to consider Sun Ra's nonconformity and genius alongside a first listen to his polyphonic music.--Publishers Weekly

Chris Raschka has received the Caldecott Medal twice, for "The Hello, Goodbye Window "by Norman Juster and for "A Ball for Daisy, "which he wrote and illustrated. He is the acclaimed illustrator of many books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Book "Yo! Yes?; I Pledge Allegiance "by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson; Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales; The Grasshopper's Song "by Nikki Giovanni; and "A Poke in the I, A Kick in the Head, "and "A Foot in the Mouth, "all edited by Paul B. Janeczko. Chris Raschka lives in New York City.