R. Gregory Christie – Illustratör

"A profile as bold and vivacious as the singer herself." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Terrific for all collections that want to inspire the musically inclined and highlight innovative pioneers." —ALA Booklist (starred review)"Bolden uses alliteration, assonance, repetition, and rhythm to create an irresistibly musical text that effectively communicates the feel of Tharpe's music. Christie's lively illustrations. . . capture the physicality of Tharpe's performance style and the intensity of her sound." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Impressive offering about an often-overlooked figure in American music." —The Horn Book (starred review)“The marriage of Bolden’s words and Christie’s pictures is almost as satisfying as Tharpe’s songs.” —New York Times Book ReviewPerfect for fans of Trombone Shorty and Ada’s Violin!Award-winning author Tonya Bolden and acclaimed illustrator R. Gregory Christie deliver an inspiring true story about the life, career, and impact of twentieth-century blues and gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was a trailblazer for rock-and-roll. Includes a timeline of Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s life, an author’s note, and a list of sources.Before there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe.The godmother of rock-and-roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air, in her hair, in her bones, wiggling her toes. With a big guitar in hand and a big voice in her soul, she grew into a rock-and-roll trailblazer in a time when women were rarely seen rocking out. Her guitar picking was like nobody else’s!Boogie along with this rockin’ tribute to the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Coretta Scott King Honor–winning author Tonya Bolden and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator R. Gregory Christie.A CCBC 2024 Choices for the Arts selection!

Before Garrett Morgan became a successful inventor and saved countless lives with his creations, he was a little boy with a head full of ideas on how to make life better for everyone.At a tumultuous time filled with racism and discrimination, Garrett became a prominent business man and skilled inventor who produced the traffic signal, a gas mask, and others objects still used today.This second book from the award-winning children's film series founded by Karyn Parsons, Sweet Blackberry, comes a little-known story about a man whose talent would be a gift to the world.

An inspirational, poetic tribute to America’s most important change-makers. Celebrating accomplishments of important figures from the birth of the Civil Rights movement to the historical election of President Barack Obama, this resonant book show young readers that anyone can make change in their world. This award-winning picture book is a modern classic and must-have for every child’s library.Rosa sat soMartin could march.Martin marched soBarack could run.Barack ran soOur children can soar.Perfect for readers looking for:- books featuring Black and African-American leaders- books that inspire and inform- books that celebrate American history and accomplishments

Even as American Patriots fought for independence from British rule during the Revolutionary War, oppressive conditions remained in place for the thousands of enslaved and free African Americans living in this country. But African Americans took up their own fight for freedom by joining the British and American armies; preaching, speaking out, and writing about the evils of slavery; and establishing settlements in Nova Scotia and Africa. The thirteen stories featured in this collection spotlight charismatic individuals who answered the cry for freedom, focusing on the choices they made and how they changed America both then and now. These individuals include: Boston King, Agrippa Hull, James Armistead Lafayette, Phillis Wheatley, Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, Prince Hall, Mary Perth, Ona Judge, Sally Hemings, Paul Cuffe, John Kizell, Richard Allen, and Jarena Lee. Includes individual bibliographies and timelines, author note, and source notes.