Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten

by Laura Veirs (Author) Tatyana Fazlalizadeh (Illustrator)

Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

This lyrical, loving picture book from popular singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and debut illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tells the story of the determined, gifted, daring Elizabeth Cotten--one of the most celebrated American folk musicians of all time. Elizabeth Cotten was only a little girl when she picked up a guitar for the first time.

It wasn't hers (it was her big brother's), and it wasn't strung right for her (she was left-handed). But she flipped that guitar upside down and backwards and taught herself how to play it anyway. By age eleven, she'd written "Freight Train," one of the most famous folk songs of the twentieth century. And by the end of her life, people everywhere--from the sunny beaches of California to the rolling hills of England--knew her music.

A Junior Library Guild selection

★ "The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers--purchase for all picture book biography collections." --School Library Journal, starred review

★ "An inspiring tale of an artist." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Elegant and moving."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

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$17.99

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

As a child in North Carolina at the end of the 19th century, Elizabeth Cotten taught herself to play her brother's guitar. It didn't matter that she was left-handed: she just played the guitar upside down. "It was kind of like brushing your teeth with your foot," writes Veirs, a singer-songwriter making her children's book debut. Cotten didn't pursue a career in music ("Time swept Libba up, and she stopped playing guitar"), and when readers next see her, she is a grandmother working in a department store. After being hired as a housekeeper by Ruth Crawford Seeger, Cotten impressed the famous family of folk musicians with her playing, leading to a lovely second act as a musician. Newcomer Fazlalizadeh's graphite drawings bring a moody atmosphere to Cotten's story, an elegant and moving portrait of a musician's late-in-life success and singular approach to her craft. Ages 5-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 3--As a child, Elizabeth Cotten, or Libba, heard a song everywhere she went, reverberating through the clear North Carolina air around her home. Sneaking into her brother's room one day, she began to play his guitar--upside down and backwards, since she was left-handed and the guitar was for right-handers. What came afterward is the beginning of a chapter in music history: "Freight Train," a song that lives in the annals of U.S. folk music. Veirs details Cotten's early determination to play guitar and the long deferment of that dream by daily life ("But even trains get derailed. Time swept Libba up"). Cotten would eventually be hired as a housekeeper for the Seeger family, her passion for song would be rekindled, and her childhood creation "Freight Train" would become a sensation. ("The Seegers believed in Libba...But it was Libba's perseverance, her love of music, and her belief in herself that gave the world her voice.") Veirs breaks up the narrative with poetic passages and with actual lyrics from Cotten's songs. Fazlalizadeh's earth-toned palette and softly blurred illustrations are imbued with warmth and contribute to the dreamy atmosphere. An extensive author's note provides a more detailed account of Cotten's life, the social and institutional barriers African Americans faced in the South, and the role the Seegers played in Cotten's fame. VERDICT The message of never giving up on a dream, no matter the circumstances, will resonate deeply with readers--purchase for all picture book biography collections.--Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elementary School, Houston

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An inspiring tale of an artist who came into her own later in life."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Laura Veirs
Laura Veirs is a singer-songwriter and longtime fan of Elizabeth Cotten. This is her first picture book. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is an artist and activist. This is her first picture book.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781452148571
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
January 16, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Music
JNF036000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Music | General
JNF023000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
United States
Singers
Cotten, Elizabeth
African American women singers

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