Valerie June’s Somebody to Love is more than the story of an unusual instrument finally finding its extraordinary, one-of-a-kind voice. It’s also about a little girl who believed in herself so much that she convinced a little banjolele to do the same. Together, the two make beautiful music and remind readers that believing in yourself and your dreams will get you exactly where you need to be to shine.
Written by Grammy-nominated musician Valerie June, from Memphis, Tenn., Somebody to Love features the whimsical, photorealistic artwork of Marcela Avelar — a Mexican-born artist based in New York City. The two creators have produced a lovely book that kids will adore and parents will appreciate for its unique storyline and diverse cast of characters.
As you might expect from a book published by Jack White's publishing imprint Third Man Books, there's a lot of musicality in the narration. The writer plays with words like they are the strings of the little banjolele itself, with a "ting, ting, ting" here and a "ring, ring, ring" there. It's perfect for reading aloud at bedtime, and young audiences will love the expressive faces that are surrounded by bright, vivid colors.
For a side note, as a musician seeing the sheet music of "Someone to Love" thrown in to the middle of the narration, I needed to hear it. I found the video of Valerie June singing it for CBS This Morning while playing an actual banjolele, and wondered why I hadn't heard her voice before. It was extraordinary.
According to the Third Man website, a signed, limited special edition is available, as well as a regular edition of the book. The special edition includes a two-track 7” vinyl with “Somebody to Love” backed with “Crawdad”.
For more information, visit somebodytolovebook.com.