Rock 'n' Roll Soul

New York Times bestselling author Susan Verde and Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Matthew Cordell’s picture book Rock ‘n’ Roll Soul “encourages girls to let the music inside them come out. A rappa-tappin’ good read that will invite readers young and old alike to move, groove, and turn on their favorite tunes” (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review).

With the school talent show coming up, a young music lover spends most of her time daydreaming about the perfect act. She notices the sounds around her, like the brrrrring of the school bell or the rappa-tappa-tap of rain on the windowpane. But the talent show is the place to reveal her own voice. Will she mix up some hip-hop beats? Will she command an orchestra of dozens, bringing the classics to life? Or, will she go electric, Jimi Hendrix style?

Marching out on the talent show stage to the beat of her own drum, this sweet and sassy musician ultimately chooses to be herself and sing her own song loud and proud, “I’ve got a rock ‘n’ roll soul!”

“Cordell, the 2018 Caldecott Medalist, never misses a beat. Whether capturing his uninhibited heroine bopping down the street to the music in her headphones or crunching her cereal in rhythm, his pictures are knowing and funny, and they crackle with visual electricity.” —Publishers Weekly