A is for Aretha

Illustrated by Rachelle Baker
Ebook
On sale Jan 24, 2023 | 26 Pages | 9780593406540
An exciting ABC board book featuring Black women musicians whose artistry and activism globally changed the way we hear and interact with music, one song at a time.

Spotlighting 26 Black women in music, A is for Aretha is a celebration of the contributions they made not only within their industry but also of the social causes that often underpinned their music. Within these pages are women whose music encouraged joy and self-love, advocated for racial justice, buoyed civil rights protests, and trailblazed paths for Black creatives that are still felt to this day.
 
This board book is a perfect gift for a baby shower or the youngest music fan.
Leslie Kwan is a Guyanese- American harpsichordist and arts executive. She grew up with Lincoln Center as her playground and American Pop music as her soundtrack. Leslie’s exciting dual career path at CHANEL and the Boston Symphony Orchestra led her to launch her own media production company, ArtsWell. A IS FOR ARETHA is her gift to young Black girls around the world; to ensure that they learn about some of the most influential Black female musicians of all time, and inspire them to become the next Aretha. It’s the kind of book that Leslie wished had been available to her as a young musician.

Ms. Kwan is based in London.

Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, MI, with a background in relief printing (screenprinting, lino/woodcutting), illustration, comic art, video art, and music. She is inspired by shoujo manga, anime and comics bad girls, stoic women dancing in the backgrounds of late 90's/early 2000's R&B videos, and the sound cats make when they're yawning. She is a Capricorn with a Scorpio moon.

About

An exciting ABC board book featuring Black women musicians whose artistry and activism globally changed the way we hear and interact with music, one song at a time.

Spotlighting 26 Black women in music, A is for Aretha is a celebration of the contributions they made not only within their industry but also of the social causes that often underpinned their music. Within these pages are women whose music encouraged joy and self-love, advocated for racial justice, buoyed civil rights protests, and trailblazed paths for Black creatives that are still felt to this day.
 
This board book is a perfect gift for a baby shower or the youngest music fan.

Author

Leslie Kwan is a Guyanese- American harpsichordist and arts executive. She grew up with Lincoln Center as her playground and American Pop music as her soundtrack. Leslie’s exciting dual career path at CHANEL and the Boston Symphony Orchestra led her to launch her own media production company, ArtsWell. A IS FOR ARETHA is her gift to young Black girls around the world; to ensure that they learn about some of the most influential Black female musicians of all time, and inspire them to become the next Aretha. It’s the kind of book that Leslie wished had been available to her as a young musician.

Ms. Kwan is based in London.

Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, MI, with a background in relief printing (screenprinting, lino/woodcutting), illustration, comic art, video art, and music. She is inspired by shoujo manga, anime and comics bad girls, stoic women dancing in the backgrounds of late 90's/early 2000's R&B videos, and the sound cats make when they're yawning. She is a Capricorn with a Scorpio moon.