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Book Cover for: A Voice Named Aretha, Katheryn Russell-Brown

A Voice Named Aretha

Katheryn Russell-Brown

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

Book Details

  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  • Publish Date: Jan 7th, 2020
  • Pages: 40
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 11.00in - 9.90in - 0.40in - 0.90lb
  • EAN: 9781681198507
  • Recommended age: 04-08
  • Categories: Biography & Autobiography - MusicAfrican American & BlackMusic - History

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About the Author

Freeman, Laura: - Originally from New York City, Laura Freeman now lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. She received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts and has illustrated over thirty children's books, including the Coretta Scott King Honor book Hidden Figures written by Margot Lee Shetterly, the Nikki & Deja series by Karen English, and Fancy Party Gowns by Deborah Blumenthal.

More books by Katheryn Russell-Brown

Book Cover for: Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: La Pequeña Melba Y Su Gran Trombón: (Little Melba and Her Big Trombone), Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: The Color of Crime, Third Edition: Racial Hoaxes, White Crime, Media Messages, Police Violence, and Other Race-Based Harms, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: She Persisted: Marian Anderson, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: The Color of Crime (Second Edition): Racial Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protectionism, Police Harassment, and Other Macroaggressions, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: Protecting Our Own: Race, Crime, and African Americans, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: Underground Codes: Race, Crime and Related Fires, Katheryn Russell-Brown
Book Cover for: Underground Codes: Race, Crime, and Related Fires, Katheryn Russell-Brown

Praise for this book

"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