Coloring book · From the Block Coloring Books, Book 4
From the Block to the Big Stage
Our People, Our Story, Your Colors
Ages 8 and up
African American music, from the stoop to the spotlight.
Coming soon
When the Marigold Street rec center needs a new roof, Zuri wants to put on a show. Her brother Malik plays a mean set of buckets, but he doesn't go on stages. Then Great-Uncle Cal brings over a crate of old records and shows him where the beat came from.
Spirituals, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, ragtime, the blues, jazz, gospel, soul and the birth of hip-hop: the whole story of African American music is in that crate, with names like Ma Rainey, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson, Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin. And when opening night comes, Malik will have to find his own beat.
This book celebrates the Black musicians who changed the world's music. Every picture has a short caption, so it's a book you can read as well as color.
A joyful gift for African American kids, young musicians and anyone who loves Black music.
What's inside
- 49 full-page pictures that tell one complete story
- Great-Uncle Cal's Record Crate at the front: a short, colorable bio card for every musician, with the page where you'll meet them
- The history of African American music, from spirituals to hip-hop
- An African American block coming together to save its rec center
- Kids, elders, choirs, horns, double dutch and natural hair of every kind
- A blank stage at the end to draw your own show
- Each picture printed on one side of the page, 8.5 x 11 inches
A peek inside
For grown-ups Tell me when it's out
More in this series
Coming soonFrom the Block to the Back Porch
An African American family story you can color. Every square is somebody's story.
Coming soonFrom the Block to the Ballot Box
The African American fight for the vote, in a story you can color.
Coming soonFrom the Block to the Stars
African American pioneers of the sky and a kid with a cardboard telescope.
Coming soonFrom the Block to the Holidays
An African American holiday story you color yourself: Christmas, Kwanzaa and Watch Night.