Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice

By Kari Lavelle

Book Overview

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.

A National Council of Teachers of English Honor Book

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059337276X
• ISBN13: 9780593372760
• Release Date: July 2024
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 9.7" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3