A narrative nonfiction picture book that feels like a blues song, for kids ages 7-10.
Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, young Robert Johnson dreamed of playing the blues. Living in the Jim Crow South, young Bob saw music as the ultimate escape from hardship. He learned to play the guitar and began to write his own songs. Through his songs and records, Robert captured the spirit of joy and freedom. The music he recorded in Dallas during Juneteenth 1937 is legendary. While he died very young, his music lives on. Known as the King of the Delta Blues, he inspired and influenced numerous musicians, from Chuck Berry and B. B. King to Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.
Award-winning author Alice Faye Duncan tells Robert Johnson’s story in poetic vignettes accompanied by Rudy Gutierrez’s swirling, colorful illustrations. This love letter to Robert Johnson feels like his blues music itself—deeply moving.
Author
Alice Faye Duncan
Alice Faye Duncan is the author of multiple children’s books, including Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and five starred reviews, and Just Like Mama, which was nominated for the NAACP Image Award. Her most recent books include Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free, Evicted!, and Yellow Dog Blues. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee. Visit alicefayeduncan.com for more information.
Learn More about Alice Faye DuncanIllustrator
Rudy Gutierrez
Rudy Gutierrez is an artist and children’s book illustrator. He received the Pura Belpre Honor for Illustration for his work on Papa and Me by Arthur Dorros, a Caldecott Honor for Double Bass Blues by Andrea J. Loney, and the Américas Book Award for Pelé, King of Soccer by Monica Brown, among many other honors. Rudy teaches illustration at the Pratt Institute School of Design in New York City. Visit altpick.com/rudygutierrez.
Learn More about Rudy Gutierrez