A Voice Named Aretha

Description

From acclaimed author and illustrator pairing comes a beautiful picture book biography about the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and how she fought for respect throughout her life. Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, a legend. But before she became a star, she was a shy little girl with a voice so powerful it made people jump up, sway, and hum along. Raised in a house full of talking and singing, Aretha learned the values that would carry her through life--from her church choir in Detroit to stages across the world. When she moved to New York City to start her career, it took years of hard work before she had a hit song. In the turbulent 1960s, she sang about Respect and refused to perform before segregated audiences. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha always remembered who she was and where she came from. In this stirring biography of a true artistic and social icon, award-winning creators Katheryn Russell-Brown and Laura Freeman show young readers how Aretha's talent, intelligence, and perseverance made her a star who will shine on for generations to come. Acclaim for Little Melba and Her Big Trombone 2015 NAACP Image Award Nominee Outstanding Literary Work--Children 2015 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor 2015 ALA Notable Children's Book 2015 Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force 2015 Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, Recommended Title

Katheryn Russell-Brown is the author of Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, which received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, the Eureka! Honor Award, was nominated for the NAACP Image Award, and was named a Best Book of 2014 by Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, and the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature, among others. She is a professor of Law and the director of the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations at the University of Florida. Katheryn grew up in a family of music lovers, where R & B was an integral part of the sounds of daily life. She lives in Gainesville, FL. www.krbrown.net Laura Freeman received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and began her career working for various editorial clients. Freeman has illustrated more than twenty children's books, including Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor winner Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, the Nikki & Deja series by Karen English, and Fancy Party Gowns by Deborah Blumenthal. In addition to illustrated books and other media, her art can be found enlivening dishes, textiles, greeting cards, and many other products. Originally from New York City, she now lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. www.lfreemanart.com @laurafreemanart

An excellent introduction to an American icon. - Kirkus Reviews, starred review This richly detailed look at the Queen of Soul is an essential biography of an American icon. - School Library Journal, starred review This beautifully illustrated look at the life of the world-renowned Queen of Soul is a sensational introduction for young readers to the artist's life and body of work. - Booklist Hits the highlights of Franklin's life. . . . Freeman's illustrations . . . capture much of the body language, facial expression, and head-thrown-back joy associated with Franklin's performance. - BCCB Franklin's ongoing support of civil rights is a recurring theme....Freeman's clear, crisp illustrations add welcome vibrancy to the text's straightforward narrative style. - Publishers Weekly Russell-Brown's debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. - Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE An excellent match of breezy text and dynamic illustrations tells an exhilarating story. - Starred review, School Library Journal on LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE Staccato rhythms pepper the fluid prose. - Publishers Weekly, starred review, on LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE