Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten (Early Elementary Story Books, Children's Music Books, Biography Books for Kids)

by Laura Veirs, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (Illustrator)

Overview

This lyrical, loving picture book from popular singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and debut illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tells the story of the determined, gifted, daring Elizabeth Cotten—one of the most celebrated American folk musicians of all time.

Elizabeth Cotten was only a little girl when she picked up a guitar for the first time. It wasn't hers (it was her big brother's), and it wasn't strung right for her (she was left-handed). But she flipped that guitar upside down and backwards and taught herself how to play it anyway. By age eleven, she'd written "Freight Train," one of the most famous folk songs of the twentieth century. And by the end of her life, people everywhere—from the sunny beaches of California to the rolling hills of England—knew her music.

A Junior Library Guild selection

★ "The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers—purchase for all picture book biography collections." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "An inspiring tale of an artist." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Elegant and moving."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452148571
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	01/16/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	204,308
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura Veirs is a singer-songwriter and longtime fan of Elizabeth Cotten. This is her first picture book. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is an artist and activist. This is her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/20/2017
As a child in North Carolina at the end of the 19th century, Elizabeth Cotten taught herself to play her brother’s guitar. It didn’t matter that she was left-handed: she just played the guitar upside down. “It was kind of like brushing your teeth with your foot,” writes Veirs, a singer-songwriter making her children’s book debut. Cotten didn’t pursue a career in music (“Time swept Libba up, and she stopped playing guitar”), and when readers next see her, she is a grandmother working in a department store. After being hired as a housekeeper by Ruth Crawford Seeger, Cotten impressed the famous family of folk musicians with her playing, leading to a lovely second act as a musician. Newcomer Fazlalizadeh’s graphite drawings bring a moody atmosphere to Cotten’s story, an elegant and moving portrait of a musician’s late-in-life success and singular approach to her craft. Ages 5–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"A strong picture-book biography profiling a notable African American musician and songwriter."- Booklist

"A strong picture-book biography profiling a notable African American musician and songwriter."- Booklist

"An inspiring tale of an artist who came into her own later in life."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"An inspiring tale of an artist who came into her own later in life."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers."-School Library Journal, starred review

"The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers."-School Library Journal, starred review

"Lovely and inspiring." —Cool Mom Picks

"Lovely and inspiring." —Cool Mom Picks

"Fazlalizadeh's art . . . complements Veirs's unpretentious prose exquisitely, and the interplay between the two is seamless. . . . Should inspire young readers starting to pursue their own creative talents as well as the adults who share the book with them." -The Horn Book Magazine

"Fazlalizadeh's art . . . complements Veirs's unpretentious prose exquisitely, and the interplay between the two is seamless. . . . Should inspire young readers starting to pursue their own creative talents as well as the adults who share the book with them." -The Horn Book Magazine

"[An] inspiring love song to an American talent who always kept rolling."— Shelf Awareness

"[An] inspiring love song to an American talent who always kept rolling."— Shelf Awareness

"Singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and up-and-coming illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh illuminate the life of influential American folk musician Elizabeth Cotten."— Real Simple

"Singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and up-and-coming illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh illuminate the life of influential American folk musician Elizabeth Cotten."— Real Simple

"Elegant and moving."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Elegant and moving."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"What a wonderful tribute to an amazing and talented woman."-Laura Vaccaro Seeger, author of the Caldecott honor-winning books Green and First the Egg

"What a wonderful tribute to an amazing and talented woman."-Laura Vaccaro Seeger, author of the Caldecott honor-winning books Green and First the Egg

"This is a beautiful book for late bloomers." — Bookish

"This is a beautiful book for late bloomers." — Bookish

"Tells Cotten's story with simple, poetic language and lovely, subdued pencil drawings."— GeekDad

"Tells Cotten's story with simple, poetic language and lovely, subdued pencil drawings."— GeekDad

"A tale of music, determination, and kindness in language simple enough for early readers and lively enough to make it a good choice for read-aloud — and maybe a sing-along or two." —Common Sense Media

"A tale of music, determination, and kindness in language simple enough for early readers and lively enough to make it a good choice for read-aloud — and maybe a sing-along or two." —Common Sense Media

"An utterly fresh take on a holiday tradition that can seem too mushy and too-commercial." —Common Sense Media

"An utterly fresh take on a holiday tradition that can seem too mushy and too-commercial." —Common Sense Media

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2017
K-Gr 3—As a child, Elizabeth Cotten, or Libba, heard a song everywhere she went, reverberating through the clear North Carolina air around her home. Sneaking into her brother's room one day, she began to play his guitar—upside down and backwards, since she was left-handed and the guitar was for right-handers. What came afterward is the beginning of a chapter in music history: "Freight Train," a song that lives in the annals of U.S. folk music. Veirs details Cotten's early determination to play guitar and the long deferment of that dream by daily life ("But even trains get derailed. Time swept Libba up"). Cotten would eventually be hired as a housekeeper for the Seeger family, her passion for song would be rekindled, and her childhood creation "Freight Train" would become a sensation. ("The Seegers believed in Libba…But it was Libba's perseverance, her love of music, and her belief in herself that gave the world her voice.") Veirs breaks up the narrative with poetic passages and with actual lyrics from Cotten's songs. Fazlalizadeh's earth-toned palette and softly blurred illustrations are imbued with warmth and contribute to the dreamy atmosphere. An extensive author's note provides a more detailed account of Cotten's life, the social and institutional barriers African Americans faced in the South, and the role the Seegers played in Cotten's fame. VERDICT The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers—purchase for all picture book biography collections.—Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elementary School, Houston

School Library Journal

★ 2017-10-16
A biography of folk-music icon Elizabeth Cotten.Cotten grew up hearing music in everything—everyday things. She would sneak her brother's guitar and play the sounds she heard, unconventionally playing the guitar upside down and backward—a way that made sense to her left-handedness. Though she eventually earned enough for her own guitar, as the years passed, Cotten didn't have time for music. One cleverly rendered illustration depicts various stages in Cotten's life in the cars of a passing freight train, explaining how her musical passion was (temporarily) derailed. When Cotten, now a grandmother working in a department store, encounters Ruth Crawford Seeger, Cotten becomes the musical family's housekeeper. One day, when Cotten picks up a guitar again—still playing upside down and backward—it's clear her talent and passion have not abandoned her…they've only lain dormant all those years. The Seegers use their privilege to help, and Cotten's talent is appreciated worldwide. Both endpapers and the book cover put guitar imagery to good use, and lovely graphite illustrations lend the story an old-time-y, country feel—a perfect pairing with Cotton's folk music. An inspiring tale of an artist who came into her own later in life than traditional narratives lead readers to believe is normal. (author's note, works cited) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews