A is for Aretha

by Leslie Kwan, Rachelle Baker (Illustrator)

Overview

An exciting ABC board book featuring Black women musicians whose artistry and activism globally changed the way we hear and interact with music, one song at a time.

Spotlighting 26 Black women in music, A is for Aretha is a celebration of the contributions they made not only within their industry but also of the social causes that often underpinned their music. Within these pages are women whose music encouraged joy and self-love, advocated for racial justice, buoyed civil rights protests, and trailblazed paths for Black creatives that are still felt to this day.

This board book is a perfect gift for a baby'shower or the youngest music fan.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593406533
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	26
Sales rank:	600,368
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Leslie Kwan is a Guyanese- American harpsichordist and arts executive. She grew up with Lincoln Center as her playground and American Pop music as her soundtrack. Leslie’s exciting dual career path at CHANEL and the Boston Symphony Orchestra led her to launch her own media production company, ArtsWell. A IS FOR ARETHA is her gift to young Black girls around the world; to ensure that they learn about some of the most influential Black female musicians of all time, and inspire them to become the next Aretha. It’s the kind of book that Leslie wished had been available to her as a young musician.

Ms. Kwan is based in London.

Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, MI, with a background in relief printing (screenprinting, lino/woodcutting), illustration, comic art, video art, and music. She is inspired by shoujo manga, anime and comics bad girls, stoic women dancing in the backgrounds of late 90's/early 2000's R&B videos, and the sound cats make when they're yawning. She is a Capricorn with a Scorpio moon.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/01/2023

Gr 1–4—Kwan has crafted an excellent alphabet book that focuses on Black female entertainers from the last 100 years and their impact beyond their music; the book is an ideal format for young children but could be used with older readers as a history lesson in an underserved topic in a friendly format. The author takes 26 prominent Black women from music history and positions their art not only in the arena of the impact it made in the music scene but in the overall fabric of society. This not only gives kids examples of how they can make an impact in the world but how their art can do that, too. Kwan does not shy away from mentioning the repercussions many of these artists faced as well as overall societal racial injustices. Coupled with Baker's resplendent, colorful illustrations created for each artist, this book will capture the attention in a high-impact delivery of memorable information. VERDICT A perfect companion for the recent H Is for Harlem and ideal for covering overlooked names in Black studies.—David Roberts

School Library Journal