RESPECT
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustration Award! From a New York Times bestselling and ALSC Children’s Literature Legacy Award–winning author and an acclaimed illustrator comes this vibrant portrait of Aretha Franklin that pays her the R-E-S-P-E-C-T this Queen of Soul deserves.
Aretha Franklin was born to sing. The daughter of a pastor and a gospel singer, her musical talent was clear from her earliest days in her father’s Detroit church where her soaring voice spanned more than three octaves.
Her string of hit songs earned her the title “the Queen of Soul,” multiple Grammy Awards, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But Aretha didn’t just raise her voice in song, she also spoke out against injustice and fought for civil rights.
This authoritative, rhythmic, Coretta Scott King Illustration Award–winning picture book biography will captivate young readers with Aretha’s inspiring story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Riffing on the memorably sung spelling of Franklin's hit "Respect," each spread of this picture book biography pairs a single word with a rhyming couplet to trace the sweep of Franklin's life: "T-A-L-E-N-T/ Young Aretha's solos soar with artistry./ Her wise father senses his daughter's destiny." Though the rhymes skew pat ("Aretha's crowned as Queen of Soul, our own royalty./ She wins awards and accolades, and more than one degree"), Weatherford presents an overview of key moments in the notable singer's life, particularly her contributions to the civil rights movement. Morrison's rich illustrations use a stylized realism to depict Franklin's trajectory from preacher's daughter to beloved icon, building to the rapt faces of Barack and Michelle Obama watching as Franklin sings at the 2009 U.S. presidential inauguration. Back matter includes a list of Franklin's hit songs and a detailed biography. Ages 4 8.
