Odetta: The Queen of Folk [Hardcover]

Stephen Alcorn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2010 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

A picture book that shines light on the indomitable life of one of the most influential American folksingers in the history of our country.

In the spirit of WHEN MARIAN SANG, this book introduces young readers to Odetta, an American folk legend. Lyrical text and striking paintings tell the story of the incredible singer whose life and works inspired such icons as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Tracy Chapman. The book comes from the author's long and fruitful artistic relationship with Odetta and is based on personal dialogues he had with her before her death in December 2008.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6–Through stunning illustrations and text, Alcorn pays tribute to the incomparable folksinger. When Odetta was born in 1930 in Birmingham, AL, the Deep South was enmeshed in Jim Crow laws. Music offered solace: “Spirituals, gospel, prison, and work songs: the cup of soup Odetta grew up on!” Alcorn's eye-catching paintings boldly blend iconic and folk elements. As a shocked Odetta watches, a water fountain's torrent of frothy letters spells out “Whites Only.” Odetta's musical hero was Marian Anderson; Alcorn depicts her soaring with the sparrows in flowing angels' robes, pearls, and multicolored wings. Odetta's family found welcome in Los Angeles, where her talents came of age: “The way Odetta sang, not even Jim Crow could tell her no!” Alcorn's prose is spirited and playful; as Odetta wins renown, her music unites people of all races. One brilliantly composed scene finds her amid a cotton field, her billowing sack teeming with birds she is waving aloft. An author's note lends context and perspective; additionally, there is a list of recommended recordings. This is a rousing introduction to a musical trailblazer.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The ranks of picture-book musician biographies swell with each passing season, but rarely are they done with as much elegance as in this ode to the folk pioneer Odetta. The project conceived and illustrated by Alcorn and featuring verse by Thornhill incorporates into Odetta’s childhood a story of intertwined musical inspirations—backbreaking-work spirituals and chain-gang rhythms—and themes of civil inequality that would inform her music. But it’s not all serious tones—Odetta was a raucous child who loved to drive her auntie mad banging away on a piano, and Thornhill’s free verse opens into short, sharp lines that are a joy to read aloud: “Odetta couldn’t / just sing, she / could sang. / To sang is to sing / like you need the music / as much / as birds / need sky.” Both in the text and in the quilted, flowing patterns of Alcorn’s paintings, the bird serves as a dramatic metaphor, issuing doubly from Odetta’s throat and a cage when she first begins to sing, soaring high as her family leaves the Jim Crow South for the haven of Los Angeles, and bursting in flocks from a pillowy cotton field as Odetta sows her songs across the world. Soulful and uplifting, this tribute introduces an important social activist who opened the eyes and delighted the ears of countless folk singers and music lovers, but will likely be a fresh subject for children. Grades 2-4. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (December 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439928184
• ISBN-13: 978-0439928182
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,166,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)