From the time she was a child in Mississippi, Leontyne had always loved listening to the Metropolitan Opera’s Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts, but she knew there weren’t any Black opera singers. Then she heard about Marian Anderson, who became a lifelong inspiration to her. Anderson opened many doors and left them ajar for Leontyne to later blast through and leave wide open. After studying music at an Ohio college, Leontyne enrolled in Julliard, and from there went to Broadway before finally finding the career she had dreamed of—opera. Weatherford’s poetic text gives a strong sense of the barriers Leontyne Price faced and broke through, and Colón’s dreamlike illustrations underscore the aspirations of a gifted young singer following her heart to achieve her goals. (Ages 4–8)

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD WINNER • A stunning picture-book biography of iconic African American opera star Leontyne Price.

Born in a small town in Mississippi in 1927, the daughter of a midwife and a sawmill worker, Leontyne Price might have grown up singing the blues. But Leontyne had big dreams—and plenty to be thankful for—as she surrounded herself with church hymns and hallelujahs, soaked up opera arias on the radio, and watched the great Marian Anderson grace the stage.

While racism made it unlikely that a poor black girl from the South would pursue an opera career, Leontyne’s wondrous voice and unconquerable spirit prevailed. Bursting through the door Marian had cracked open, Leontyne was soon recognized and celebrated for her leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera and around the world—most notably as the majestic Ethiopian princess in Aida, the part she felt she was born to sing.

From award-winners Carole Boston Weatherford and Raul Colón comes the story of a little girl from Mississippi who became a beloved star—one whose song soared on the breath of her ancestors and paved the way for those who followed.