Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards offers a loving tribute to the grandfather who handed him his first guitar. But Gus gave him far more than the entry into a life of music. “There was nothing like visiting Gus. The closer to his house I’d get, the bigger my smile would grow. By the time I landed on his doorstep, I was all teeth.” The two of them walked all over the city of London, a sense of adventure defining their time together. “With Gus, you’d have no idea where you’d end up.” And when young Keith was finally big enough, Gus handed him the guitar that sat on top of his piano. “He sat with me, taught me how to hold it, strum it, and pluck a little.” A warm, delightful narrative rich with appealing details chronicles a wonderful grandfather-grandson bond and the emergence of a serious musician. A brief photo essay about Keith Richards concludes a picture book featuring playful black line drawings and color washes. (Ages 6–9)

An inspiring, acclaimed picture book about family and music that details the electric moment with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones first picked up a guitar, illustrated by his daughter, Theodora Richards.
Long before there was a band, there was a boy: a young Keith Richards, who was introduced to the joy of music through his beloved granddad, Theodore Augustus Dupree, affectionately known as "Gus," who was in a jazz big band and is the namesake of Keith's daughter, Theodora Dupree Richards. Gus & Me offers a rare and intimate look into the childhood of the legendary Keith Richards through this poignant and inspiring story that is lovingly illustrated with Theodora Richards's exquisite pen-and-ink collages. This unique autobiographical picture book honors the special bond between a grandfather and grandson and celebrates the artistic talents of the Richards family through the generations. It also includes selected photographs from the Richards family collection.