Price, Kathy Z. 1957–

Personal

Born 1957.

Addresses

Home—New York, NY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Clarion Books, 215 Park Ave. S., New York, NY 10003. E-mail—kathyzprice@msn.com.

Career

Storyteller, poet, and musician. Hall Farm Center for Arts and Education, Townshend, VT, artist-in-residence, 2001.

Member

Authors Guild, Authors' League of America.

Awards, Honors

Notable Book Award, National Council of Teachers of English/Children's Literature Assembly, 2003, for Bourbon Street Musicians; New York Foundation of the Arts fellowship in poetry, 2005.

Writings

The Bourbon Street Musicians, illustrated by Andrew Glass, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Gathering of the Tribes (magazine), guest editor.

Sidelights

Poet and musician Kathy Z. Price made her debut in the children's-book field in 2002 with the publication of The Bourbon Street Musicians. Based on the traditional folk tale "The Bremen Town Musicians," Price's story entertains younger listeners with a lyrical text that swings with the music of New Orleans jazz. A mule, a hound dog, a rooster, and a scruffy cat, all down on their luck and without homes, band together and set out to make their fortune as musicians and, despite their scraggly appearance, are able to outsmart a band of wily bayou thieves. Along with its jazzy pace, Price's tale is enhanced by Andrew Glass's oil-crayon illustrations which capture the beauty of the Southern landscape.

Noting the book's usefulness at story hour, School Library Journal reviewer Judith Constantinides added that The Bourbon Street Musicians serves as "challenging fun" that will be "enjoyed by young and old listeners alike." Ellen Mandel, in Booklist, also enjoyed Price's debut, writing that the author's "rollicking story … begs to be presented by an enthusiastic storyteller." According to a contributor to Publishers Weekly, "Price crafts a rollicking narrative with a Southern twang that trips off the tongue," while "Glass comes up with some memorable characters" to match.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2002, Ellen Mandel, review of The Bourbon Street Musicians, p. 1719.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2002, review of The Bourbon Street Musicians, p. 343.

Language Arts, January, 2003, Junko Yokota and Mingshui Cai, review of The Bourbon Street Musicians, p. 234.

Publishers Weekly, April 8, 2002, review of The Bourbon Street Musicians, p. 227.

School Library Journal, May, 2002, Judith Constantinides, review of The Bourbon Street Musicians, p. 143.

ONLINE

Houghton Mifflin Web site, http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/ (June 6, 2006).

Kathy Z. Price Home Page, http://www.kathyzprice.com (June 6, 2006).