Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice -- Kari Lavelle

<b>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.</b> <p/>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. <p/>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. <p/>And so he was silent...until he wrote his own poem, <i>Ode to Grapefruit, </i>and found a love for poetry. <p/>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.<br><br><b>Author:</b> Kari Lavelle<br><b>Publisher:</b> Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers<br><b>Published:</b> 07/30/2024<br><b>Pages:</b> 48<br><b>Binding Type:</b> Hardcover<br><b>Weight:</b> 1.25lbs<br><b>ISBN:</b> 9780593372760<br><b>Audience:</b> Ages 4-8<br><br><b>Review Citation(s): </b><br><i>Publishers Weekly</i> 04/08/2024<br><i>Kirkus Reviews</i> 05/01/2024<br><p><b>About the Author</b><br>Kari Lavelle is the author of <i>We Move the World, </i>illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, as well as the <i>Butt or Face?