Recommended for ages 4-8 years, but uplifting for all. Lorraine and her Pa Paw are rural African American hill folk as revealed in the luminous illustrations by African American artist, Higgins Bond, the winner of the Ashley Bryan Award. When Pa Paw’s harmonica and Lorraine’s pennywhistle disappear, they raise their voices in song that covers their disappointment, but then a seemingly destructive event ends up returning their instruments to them in a testament to silver linings. The author, Ketch Secor, is a white man and the founder of the Old Crow Medicine Show. "This not-to-be-missed story appeals to the ear as much as it does to the eye as Lorraine shows readers that music can make any situation more enjoyable." - Kirkus Reviews. "Musician Secor deftly mines his songwriting talent in this paean to music and family bonds... Bond captures the narrative's melody and changeable moods in luminous paintings featuring precisely rendered feathers, blades of grass, and emotive facial expressions." - Publishers Weekly. "[A] bouncy tribute to Southern folkways and intergenerational relationships." - School Library Journal. "This musical, folkloric story is a delightful read-aloud." – Booklist.
Napierville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, a 2021 paperback release of a 2018 hardback release. A 32-page picture book illustrated by Higgins Bond. 9.5” X 10.5” trade paperback.