Close Modal
Wish List 0 Wish List 0
Download high-resolution image Look inside

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar

The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll

Author Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Look inside
Hardcover
$18.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Doubleday Books for Young Readers
10.38"W x 10.25"H x 0.39"D   | 16 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Feb 28, 2023 | 40 Pages | 9780593571064
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll—a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed.

"Music is the heart of our story," says Momma to young Rosetta, surprising her with her first guitar. Rosetta's strums sound like ker-plunks. But with practice and determination, she makes music, fingers hopping "like corn in a kettle," notes pouring over the church crowd "like summer rain washing the dust off a new day."

In this stunning picture book, author and illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow imagines the childhood of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose rural roots inspired the music we still hear today.

Young readers will see a child's dream become reality through hard work and perseverance. And they'll learn the overlooked story of a pioneering Black artist, whose contribution to music history is only now being discovered.
  • SELECTION | 2024
    ALA Notable Children's Book
★ "Pinkney Barlow smartly uses lively onomatopoeia and crisp, textured collage art to layer the origins of the subject’s sound onto every page."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Perhaps most impressive is the sense of place achieved by both text and art: Readers will truly feel as though they’ve visited Cotton Plant and met many of its animated, expressive denizens."—BookPage, starred review

★ Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best List, 2023

★ A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, 2024

★ Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Award Honor, 2024, Cleveland Public Library

★ A New York Public Library Vibrant Voices pick, 2024

"Barlow captures the delight of [Tharpe’s] voice in her new picture book."—The New York Times

"An inspiring story that may encourage others to pick up an instrument and make it speak."—The Horn Book

"Speaks to all children with music in their heads while introducing an unjustly little-known pioneer."—Kirkus Reviews

"[A] pitch-perfect picture-book biography. . . . This upbeat, harmonious portrait of the “Godmother of Rock and Roll” as a child hits all the right notes."—Booklist

"An overdue narrative of one of early rock’s most influential figures."—School Library Journal

"Fabulous."—The Globe and Mail

"Onomatopoeia brings a playful rhythm as “Little Rosetta” finds inspiration in everyday moments, and her journey from novice musician to fluent guitarist is relayed with authentic struggles and self-doubt."—The Bulletin

"'Little Rosetta' finds inspiration in everyday moments, and her journey from novice musician to fluent guitarist is relayed with authentic struggles and self-doubt."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
CHARNELLE PINKNEY BARLOW received her BFA in llustration from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and her MFA in the Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, New York. Charnelle’s children's book illustrations include Everything in Its Place, The Real Santa, and Remember to Dream, Ebere. Charnelle lives in Indianapolis with her husband. When she's not drawing, she is baking, sewing, or reading with a cup of tea by her side. Find her online at callmechartreuse.com and follow her on Instagram at @callmechartreuse. View titles by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

About

A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll—a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed.

"Music is the heart of our story," says Momma to young Rosetta, surprising her with her first guitar. Rosetta's strums sound like ker-plunks. But with practice and determination, she makes music, fingers hopping "like corn in a kettle," notes pouring over the church crowd "like summer rain washing the dust off a new day."

In this stunning picture book, author and illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow imagines the childhood of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose rural roots inspired the music we still hear today.

Young readers will see a child's dream become reality through hard work and perseverance. And they'll learn the overlooked story of a pioneering Black artist, whose contribution to music history is only now being discovered.

Awards

  • SELECTION | 2024
    ALA Notable Children's Book

Praise

★ "Pinkney Barlow smartly uses lively onomatopoeia and crisp, textured collage art to layer the origins of the subject’s sound onto every page."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Perhaps most impressive is the sense of place achieved by both text and art: Readers will truly feel as though they’ve visited Cotton Plant and met many of its animated, expressive denizens."—BookPage, starred review

★ Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best List, 2023

★ A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, 2024

★ Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Award Honor, 2024, Cleveland Public Library

★ A New York Public Library Vibrant Voices pick, 2024

"Barlow captures the delight of [Tharpe’s] voice in her new picture book."—The New York Times

"An inspiring story that may encourage others to pick up an instrument and make it speak."—The Horn Book

"Speaks to all children with music in their heads while introducing an unjustly little-known pioneer."—Kirkus Reviews

"[A] pitch-perfect picture-book biography. . . . This upbeat, harmonious portrait of the “Godmother of Rock and Roll” as a child hits all the right notes."—Booklist

"An overdue narrative of one of early rock’s most influential figures."—School Library Journal

"Fabulous."—The Globe and Mail

"Onomatopoeia brings a playful rhythm as “Little Rosetta” finds inspiration in everyday moments, and her journey from novice musician to fluent guitarist is relayed with authentic struggles and self-doubt."—The Bulletin

"'Little Rosetta' finds inspiration in everyday moments, and her journey from novice musician to fluent guitarist is relayed with authentic struggles and self-doubt."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Author

CHARNELLE PINKNEY BARLOW received her BFA in llustration from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and her MFA in the Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, New York. Charnelle’s children's book illustrations include Everything in Its Place, The Real Santa, and Remember to Dream, Ebere. Charnelle lives in Indianapolis with her husband. When she's not drawing, she is baking, sewing, or reading with a cup of tea by her side. Find her online at callmechartreuse.com and follow her on Instagram at @callmechartreuse. View titles by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

Adults Children's Blog General All Gift

Celebrate Women’s History Month!

Celebrate the legacy of pioneering women throughout history and the continuing achievements of women today! Artists, activists, scientists, athletes, warriors–hear their voices this month and beyond. Feel inspired by these stories about amazing women who stood up, spoke out, struggled through, and soared. Check out our Women’s History Month title selections below! Women’s History Month –

Read more

Celebrate Women’s History Month!

Adults Children's Blog General All Gift
Adults Children's General All

Black Icons, Past and Present

Read more about Black icons who have made incredible impacts in politics, activism, art, entertainment, sports, literature, and more! These biographies and memoirs tell the authors’ stories in their own voices, which, in turn, invite readers to explore their own identities and pen their own points of view. With books for all ages, children and

Read more

Black Icons, Past and Present

Adults Children's General All
Blog Adults Children's General All Gift

Staff Picks + Upcoming Titles: February

Take a tour around the world without ever leaving your kitchen with Kitchen Passport. Celebrate the joy in everyday life with Black Archives, and get an early kickstart to spring with some colorful friends in Happy Easter from the Crayons. February is full of great titles to discover. See our staff picks lists below to

Read more

Staff Picks + Upcoming Titles: February

Blog Adults Children's General All Gift
Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Use

© 2024 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)