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Coretta's Song

The Life of Coretta Scott King

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Coretta's Song

By: Doreen Rappaport, Cozbi A. Cabrera
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A powerful biography of the influential civil rights leader and multitalented musician Coretta Scott King, featuring illustrations by Caldecott Honor winner, Cozbi A. Cabrera.

Young Coretta Scott was a gifted musician, learning multiple instruments and breaking barriers to study music in college. Yet growing up in 1930s Alabama, she frequently felt the sting of racial injustice and even violence: when public school for Black children ended after sixth grade, when white neighbors burned down her father's house and lumber mill, and when Coretta was denied a student teaching job based on the color of her skin.

She met a minister named Martin Luther King, Jr., and the two were drawn together by a shared commitment to serving others and fighting against inequality. Alongside her husband, Coretta became an influential voice in the Civil Rights Movement, holding Freedom Concerts to spread awareness and raise funds, and carrying on a message of peace and nonviolent protest after Martin's assassination.

In this inspiring addition to the acclaimed Big Words series, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport masterfully blends narrative with Coretta’s own words to share her remarkable story. With powerful illustrations by Caldecott Honoree Cozbi A. Cabrera, Coretta’s Song is a superb portrait of a woman whose voice changed America, and the world, forever.

Want to read more inspiring stories? Check out these Big Words books and many more!
Beacon of Hope: The Life of Barack Obama
Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa
Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Biographies Education & Learning Growing Up & Facts of Life Literature & Fiction Multicultural Stories Social Activists Women
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Critic Reviews

* “Coretta’s integrity and perseverance through adversity will inspire all who pick this book up…. Every spread is packed with lush, evocative images with such an impressive variety of composition and color that readers will easily lose themselves. Triumphant.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* “A beautiful story of endurance, commitment, and perseverance…. This inspiring, visually engaging picture book biography honors King’s life and her own achievements.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“[An] informative, moving account of a woman who devoted her life to supporting civil rights and nonviolence…. Cabrera's colorful, expressive paintings depict Coretta across various stages of her life, thoughtfully capturing her determination and poise throughout.”—Booklist
Praise for Beacon of Hope: The Life of Barack Obama
* "A very successful biography that portrays a purpose-driven life fueled from Obama’s early years to the White House; the text captures the energy and passion of a man who broke barriers and changed history."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "The illustrations, done in oil glazes over an acrylic medium, are richly textured.... An excellent successor to the legacy of Big Words books, marked by titles that introduce young readers to sophisticated vocabulary and ideas."—Booklist, starred review
Praise for Ruth Objects
"Velasquez's arresting jacket portrait of Ginsburg, superimposed on a facsimile of the U.S. Constitution, conveys a woman of purpose; Rappaport's biography, largely focused on Ginsburg's work for gender equality, reinforces this first impression."—Horn Book
"Striking."—Booklist
"Insightful and fascinating."—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Martin's Big Words
"Beginning with the startling cover, which contains only the face of Martin Luther King Jr., with his smile broad, and his eyes crinkled in laughter, this title intrigues. It’s an homage in words and pictures, in which the author weaves King’s words with her own to present a brief but stately portrait of the American hero....Readers will hear [King's] voice echo in this presentation."—Kirkus Reviews
“Weaving in Dr. King’s own 'big words,' this inspiring picture book biography celebrates this great leader as preacher and politician. Rappaport’s sparse narrative captures the essentials of the man, the Civil Rights movement he led, and his policy of non-violence. This is a great book to read aloud many times.”—Booklist
“A stunning, reverent tribute.” —School Library Journal
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