R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul

This book connects young readers to the civil rights movement through the cultural icon Aretha Franklin

This beautifully illustrated informational book celebrates Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, with whom readers are likely already familiar.  Author Carole Boston Weatherford goes deeper to present the story behind Aretha's music, from her childhood growing up in the church through her civil rights activism as an adult.  This book is meant to be read aloud; each page begins with a key word spelled out like R-E-S-P-E-C-T, followed by rhyming text.  The illustrations by Frank Morrison expand on the text by including recognizable historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr.  This book will appeal to preschoolers, while older children can learn more about Aretha’s background from the author’s note at the end of the book.