By Kwame Alexander
Illustrated by Charly Palmer
Little, Brown, 2025
40 pages
978-0-316-44249-7
Ages 5-10
An exuberant, lyrical text celebrates the rich history and variety of music made and influenced by Black Americans. The chronological account begins with the beat of talking drums, “the fireside chorus / of the motherland,” before moving to forms of music that “shouldered” the enslaved and “lifted / the insufferable weight off our world”: hymns, field hollers, juba, litanies, spirituals. Music “crooned” and “moaned” in juke joints and jazz clubs, sometimes a “rapid-fire tempo,” other times a “musical conversation.” As the decades passed, music evolved and genres emerged: scat and bebop, rock ‘n roll, funk, rap, and more. Often inextricably tied to or reflective of the political moment, Black music—American music—is “a symphony / of refuge and redemption / the sweet sound of a people / surviving and thriving / all the while learning / to love themselves / by singing it LOUD / and PROUD.” Brimming with energy and emotion, and smoothly incorporating song and album titles and lyrics, the text reads not like a straightforward history but like music itself; it begs to be read aloud and revisited. Vibrant, dynamic acrylic paintings complement the text, while extensive back matter provides additional historical context and elaborates on the musical styles, artists, and songs to which the main narrative alludes. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center