A Voice Named Aretha
- Subject
- Biography & Autobiography - Music
- Age
- 3-5 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 40
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Size
- 25.1 cm × 27.9 cm
- ISBN
- 9781681198507
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
Data provided by BiblioShare.
What reviewers said
“An excellent introduction to an American icon.”
“This richly detailed look at the Queen of Soul is an essential biography of an American icon.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Russell-Brown's debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose.”
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