Blues with a Butter Knife: The Unstoppable Music of CeDell Davis
Jason Peterson
Sep 2026 · Astra Publishing House
Ebook
40
Pages
About this ebook
Young CeDell Davis learns to play the blues unlike anyone else—with his guitar upside down and a butterknife in his hand—and becomes a legendary musician.
Renowned Black illustrator R. Gregory Christie brings the blues legend to life in this nonfiction picture book for ages 7–10.
For young CeDell Davis, the blues cut straight to his heart. He wanted to play, but he had no instrument. He became an inventor: nailing wire and a rusty barrel ring to the side of his house so he could jam all day.
When he finally got a real guitar, CeDell played better than ever–but when he was about 10 years old, his body grew weak. After years spent battling polio in the hospital, he was finally well enough to come home and dust off his guitar. But he couldn’t play it. Polio had weakened his left, fretting hand and stiffened his right, strumming hand. Turning his guitar upside down and grabbing a butterknife from the kitchen, CeDell invented a whole new way to play the blues—a way that would one day get him up on stage, jamming with his musical idols.
Renowned Black illustrator R. Gregory Christie brings the blues legend to life in this nonfiction picture book for ages 7–10.
For young CeDell Davis, the blues cut straight to his heart. He wanted to play, but he had no instrument. He became an inventor: nailing wire and a rusty barrel ring to the side of his house so he could jam all day.
When he finally got a real guitar, CeDell played better than ever–but when he was about 10 years old, his body grew weak. After years spent battling polio in the hospital, he was finally well enough to come home and dust off his guitar. But he couldn’t play it. Polio had weakened his left, fretting hand and stiffened his right, strumming hand. Turning his guitar upside down and grabbing a butterknife from the kitchen, CeDell invented a whole new way to play the blues—a way that would one day get him up on stage, jamming with his musical idols.
Young CeDell Davis learns to play the blues unlike anyone else—with his guitar upside down and a butterknife in his hand—and becomes a legendary musician.
Renowned Black illustrator R. Gregory Christie brings the blues legend to life in this nonfiction picture book for ages 7–10.
For young CeDe...
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About the author
Jason Peterson loves to write - and write about - music. His byline has appeared in Performer Magazine, The Current, American Songwriter, Living Blues and elsewhere. He was born and raised in Chicago and now lives with his wife, two kids, and a scruffy dog in south Louisiana, where he’s still getting used to trading snow for swamps.
R. Gregory Christie is the award-winning illustrator of over fifty children's books, including The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children, edited by Davida Adedjouma, which won a Coretta Scott King Honor for illustration, and Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth, which was selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. He also owns and operates a bookstore that sells autographed children's books.
R. Gregory Christie is the award-winning illustrator of over fifty children's books, including The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children, edited by Davida Adedjouma, which won a Coretta Scott King Honor for illustration, and Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth, which was selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. He also owns and operates a bookstore that sells autographed children's books.
Jason Peterson loves to write - and write about - music. His byline has appeared in Performer Magazine, The Current, American Songwriter, Living Blues and elsewhere. He was born and raised in Chicago and now lives with his wife, two kids, and a scruffy dog in south Louisiana, where he’s still get...
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