Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780593372760)

Before legendary actor James Earl Jones was recognized for his memorable, smooth voice, he was just James--a stutterer who stopped speaking for eight years as a child...and ultimately found his voice through poetry.

Before there was Mufasa...Before there was Darth Vader... There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class.

Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame: if he didn't speak, he wouldn't stutter.

And so he was silent...until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry.

Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter about stuttering pair together for 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.

Author: Kari Lavelle
ISBN-10: 059337276X
ISBN-13: 9780593372760
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Language: English
Published: 07/30/2024
Pages: 48
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/08/2024
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2024