  | Ode to grapefruit : how James Earl Jones found his voice Author: Lavelle, Kari | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
A remarkable picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry--and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.
| Illustrator: | Collier, Bryan |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/24)
Booklist (06/01/24)
The Hornbook (00/09/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2024 Drawing from the renowned actor’s memoirs, Lavelle presents a young farm boy whose stutter forms no obstacle when he is chattering to livestock but keeps him nearly silent in public situations. James is always a good listener, though, so at a highschool teacher’s urging, he begins reading poetry aloud to himself. Inspired by the cadences of Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha and by the delicious scent of a peeled grapefruit, he writes a poem of his own, “Ode to Grapefruit,” and goes on to read it to his class—an experience that breaks down his reserve and leads not only to early awards in public speaking but to the life-changing realization that, despite the occasional stutter, his voice is his own: “Imperfectly perfect.” In his signature mix of paint and collage, Collier portrays Jones progressing from downcast shame to glowing triumph. The author, a speech pathologist, caps this thought-provoking account with an afterword expanding on his subject’s experiences both with that teacher and with racial discrimination. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
