Written by Tonya Bolden and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
[From the Dust Jacket]
The Godmother of Rock & Roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a Rock & Roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out.
Boogie along with this rockin’ tribute to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Coretta Scott King Honor Book-winning author Tonya Bolden and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie.
Ages 4 and up | 40 pages
Hardcover | Harper (An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) | 2023 | ISBN: 9780062994387
“Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!” Made the List …
The 2023 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books
Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best for 2023 – Best Informational Books for Younger Readers
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) Best Book of 2023
A 2023 Kirkus Reviews Best Picture-Book Biography
Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best List 2023
Arkansas Center for the Book – A 2023 Arkansas Gem
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison) – A CCBC Choice 2024 – The Arts
Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature – The Best Children’s Books of the Year 2024 – Biography
“Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!” Reviews . . .
“Music reverberates throughout this striking biographical tribute to rock and roll trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915–1973)… Bolden uses alliteration, assonance, repetition, and rhythm to create an irresistibly musical text that effectively communicates the feel of Tharpe’s music. Christie’s lively illustrations render elongated forms with exaggerated expressions against color-block backgrounds, capturing the physicality of Tharpe’s performance style and the intensity of her sound.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review.
“A profile as bold and vivacious as the singer herself.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A little girl, a big instrument, and plenty of determination as she grows to meet musical challenges are portrayed through a stellar combination of foot-stomping prose and bold illustrations in this picture-book biography of rock-and-roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe . . . [who] emerged as an inspiration to some of the most iconic early rock sensations—Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Johnny Cash.”—Booklist, starred review
“A fresh and female addition to the music legend canon.”—School Library Journal
“The marriage of Bolden’s words and Christie’s pictures is almost as satisfying as Tharpe’s songs.” —Chris Raschka, New York Times Book Review
“Impressive offering about an often-overlooked figure in American music.” —The Horn Book, starred review.
“Bolden’s rhythmic, direct address narrative revels in the ebullient joy and power of Tharpe’s art: ‘Music in your air/ in your hair/ in your bones/ wiggling your toes./ Making downright mighty/ music, music, music.’ . . . . Acrylic gouache saturates full spreads, centering Tharpe’s larger-than life persona with dynamic poses and vibrant hues that display her movement and ease.”—BCCB