My Voice Is a Trumpet

by Jimmie Allen, Cathy Ann Johnson (Illustrator)

Overview

*"The rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices in a powerful song." --School Library Journal (starred review)
 
From rising country star Jimmie Allen comes a lyrical celebration of the many types of voices that can effect change.

From voices tall as a tree, to voices small as a bee, all it takes is confidence and a belief in the goodness of others to change the world. Coming at a time when issues of social justice are at the forefront of our society, this is the perfect book to teach children in and out of the classroom that they're not too young to express what they believe in and that all voices are valuable.
 
The perfect companion for little readers going back to school!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593352205
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD670L (what's this?)
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jimmie Allen is a platinum-selling American country music singer-songwriter who made history as the first Black artist to launch a career with two consecutive number one hits on country radio from his 2018 debut album Mercury Lane. Allen won New Male Artist of The Year at the 2021 ACM Awards. Jimmie's music features a cutting-edge mix of country, rock, R&B, and pop that draws upon the influence of his family and small-town upbringing. His latest release, Bettie James, is a star-studded collaboration EP named in honor of his late grandmother and late father. Allen lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his fiancée and two children. My Voice Is a Trumpet is his first book. For more information, visit www.jimmieallenmusic.com.

Cathy Ann Johnson received her BFA from Columbus College of Arts and Design. She spent several years at Hallmark Greeting Cards, where she received a position in Hallmark's Center of Excellence. Her work has appeared in children's books, magazines, posters, home décor, gifts, and more. She currently works from Downtown Decatur, Georgia, as well as a satellite studio in Rome, Italy. In her spare time, Cathy Ann, her husband, and their cute doggie enjoy roaming Rome, chasing castles in medieval towns, and appreciating history and the arts.

Editorial Reviews

08/02/2021

Country music singer Allen presents a rhyming ode to the range of voices people have, varying in volume, tone, and age, and extending to those conveyed internally and through sign language. Sharing positive ways in which one’s voice can be used, the book highlights words throughout in different colors: “I will learn to SPEAK UP/ to show I am strong,/ TO STAND FOR WHAT’S RIGHT,/ and to know what feels wrong,” reads one spread, which shows a Black child with purple glasses introducing themselves to a light-skinned, curly-haired child eating alone at lunch. Johnson supplements the lyrical text with soft-hued, gently textured art, featuring a cast inclusive across ability, age, hair texture, skin color, and religion that occasionally mirrors the text and occasionally diverges. This short, optimistic picture book urges children to steward their voices well. Ages 3–7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"The text urges children to speak up—show strength—yet also encourages loving, comforting others, and reminding all “we’re Sisters and Brothers” who have faces of diverse races and ethnicities. VERDICT A suggested first choice for libraries, the rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices in a powerful song." —School Library Journal (starred review)


"Johnson supplements the lyrical text with soft-hued, gently textured art, featuring a cast inclusive across ability, age, hair texture, skin color, and religion that occasionally mirrors the text and occasionally diverges. This short, optimistic picture book urges children to steward their voices well." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2021

K-Gr 2—"We all have voices, voices to hear." Country music artist Jimmie Allen offers descriptive poetry dedicated to the power the voice, of an individual or of the many: "Some have a voice / AS TALL AS A TREE— / LOUD and PROUD / Some have a voice as small as a bee, / soft and sweet like / KISSES OF HONEY." Beautifully painted portraits bring depth to the faces, as well as emotion to each setting. The sound of voices flows as bubbles from a trumpet and through the end papers after a series of scenarios. Larger bubbles surround and call attention to types of voices, even those that are "silent but speak with hands." The soft palette is highlighted by deeper tones, shadows, and expressive faces, while library shelves weave across the page as a place "to wonder, to learn, and to ask." The text urges children to speak up—show strength—yet also encourages loving, comforting others, and reminding all "we're Sisters and Brothers" who have faces of diverse races and ethnicities. VERDICT A suggested first choice for libraries, the rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices in a powerful song.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX

School Library Journal

2021-05-19
Explores different ways one’s voice can be used.

The unidentified narrator begins by chronicling different types of voices: “loud and proud,” “soft and sweet,” “patient and wise,” and more. The Deaf community is included in both text and art, and sign language is alluded to: “There’s a voice that is silent / but STILL CAN BE HEARD / with hands that move / to speak EVERY word.” The vibrant, colorful art presents an array of children of different races and skin tones. Unfortunately, this well-meaning book does not cohere. The art in some spreads does not appear to augment or even connect to the text. For example, the lines “I’LL SAY NO TO HATE / by using this voice / and ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE— / a magical choice” are illustrated with a spread of four children: one playing the trumpet, another singing, one with a drum major’s hat and baton, and the final child skateboarding. Readers may be confused by how these images apply to the text since they have no direct relation to saying no to hate or choosing love. Spreads with children holding protest signs feel disconnected to the present moment with no Black Lives Matter or BLM–related signs depicted. Some text excludes nonbinary children, asserting “we’re SISTERS / and BROTHERS.”

Aspirational—but not quite ascending to the inspirational. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews