(2) K-3 Barlow presents a tender homage to intergenerational connection and a lively celebration of creative expression. When a young Charnelle hears the "bop, tap, clap of Grandad's jazz" coming from his artist's studio, she immediately knows that "Grandad is painting." He encourages Charnelle to explore making art with him and reassures her when things don't go as planned. When she attempts a watercolor wash -- "Make a puddle at the top, and use your brush to slowly pull it down the page" -- her puddle runs away from her and makes a mess. When she reaches for the water jar, it falls "Clash, Clink, Clang" to the floor. Grandad tells her, "Don't worry. I've had my fair share of spills too," and hands her a sketchbook. The two then sit and sketch together. Charnelle worries that her drawing of a plant is wrong, and Grandad reminds her that "there is no right way. Every artist sees the world differently." Mixed-media illustrations reflect the pair's closeness, mutual respect, and artistic bond; the music playing in the background is represented as a ribbon of notes weaving through most pages. The final image of grandfather (revealed in the author's note to be the late Jerry Pinkney) and granddaughter ascending stairs made of books is a fitting tribute to their family legacy. The note also provides more details, including that Barlow was the model for Pinkney's picture book The Little Match Girl.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2026

(2) K-3 In her time, some said Sister Rosetta Tharpe could make her guitar talk. Today, many credit her unique mix of gospel, jazz, and blues as the foundation for what would become known as rock-and-roll. Born in rural Arkansas in 1915, young Rosetta received her first guitar at four and mastered the instrument in just two years. She performed on the gospel circuit as a child and eventually in nightclubs as a hit-record-making adult, but her contributions to music were often ignored because of her gender and race. Barlow's picture-book biography focuses on Tharpe's childhood, depicting her guitar as echoing the sounds she encounters in her small African American community and debuting in her triumphant first performance at church. The lyrical text is rich with sound words ("The vibrations hummed through her body like bees through a garden"). Movement-filled, whimsical mixed-media illustrations have a folksy feel; the soft pinks, purples, blues, and yellows that recur throughout the pages convey the security and support of Tharpe's tight-knit community. An author's note provides further details about her rise to stardom as well as her lasting, if ignored, impact on many musical genres. An inspiring story that may encourage others to pick up an instrument and make it speak.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023