What do Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, and Amy Cheney Beach have in common? They’re all groundbreaking women who made a mark on music history. Share these picture book biographies to inspire the next generation of talented performers.

DeLems, Caitlin. Pitch Perfect and Persistent!: The Musical Debut of Amy Cheney Beach. illus. by Alison Jay. 40p. Calkins Creek. Mar. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781662680083.
Gr 2-5–A cheery picture book biography about Amy Cheney Beach, a white 19th-century musician who was composing songs before she turned two years old. Born into a middle-class New England family in 1867, Beach longed to play her mother’s piano. Her conservative parents forbade her to perform and play in public. But the little girl couldn’t contain her love of music and persisted in composing. Eventually, her tenacity won out, and Beach was able to take piano lessons, perform at recitals, and debut at the Boston Hall of Music at 16. She went on to publish her first symphony not long after and became the first American woman to receive widespread acclaim as a composer of a large-scale work for orchestra. DeLems shares Beach’s accomplishments with a sprightly text. Jay’s signature artwork illuminates the young woman’s rise to fame with bright ­yellows and sky blues. The lively narrative and images combine to give a rambunctious feel to the work. An author’s note, time line, ­period photos, musical glossary, and bibliography are included in the back matter. Readers will be inspired by her verve and dedication. VERDICT A joyous picture book biography about a little known, gifted female musician, that would make a great choice for most nonfiction shelves.–Shelley M. Diaz

Flack, Roberta with Tonya Bolden. The Green Piano: How Little Me Found ­Music. illus. by Hayden Goodman. 32p. ­Random/Anne Schwartz. Jan. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593479872.
Gr 2-5–With lilting text and stunning art, Flack’s lovely autobiographical picture book highlights little Roberta’s passion for music and the love of a family with little means who supported their daughter’s big dreams. “I’d use my elbows on the ebonies/ because my fingers were too short./ Mother and Daddy were so tickled by that—/ and so proud too.” The rhythmic and inviting narrative shares how her father found an upright in the junkyard, rescued it, and painted it green. The rest is history. In her picture book debut, Goodman’s mixed-media illustrations are dazzling; there is joy on every page. From cozy family scenes to expansive skyscapes, light shines through in each spread. Curvy lines lend a feeling of musicality and wholeness to the art. Back matter includes an author’s note expanding on Flack’s musical career, from teaching music at a junior high school to being discovered as pianist and singer at the restaurant she worked at part-time to recording her first album in 1969 and the Roberta Flack Foundation. It also features a list of career highlights, including mentions of her well-known “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” VERDICT A warm, soulful picture book autobiography about a living legend that will inspire burgeoning artists to pursue their dreams no matter their circumstances. –Shelley M. Diaz

Kwan, Leslie. A Is for Aretha. illus. by Rachelle Baker. 26p. Penguin/­Kokila. Jan. 2023. Board $9.99. ISBN 9780593406533.
Gr 1-4–Kwan has crafted an excellent alphabet book that focuses on Black female entertainers from the last 100 years and their impact beyond their music; the book is an ideal format for young children but could be used with older readers as a history lesson in an underserved topic in a friendly format. The author takes 26 prominent Black women from music history and positions their art not only in the arena of the impact it made in the music scene but in the overall fabric of society. This not only gives kids examples of how they can make an impact in the world but how their art can do that, too. Kwan does not shy away from mentioning the repercussions many of these artists faced as well as overall societal racial injustices. Coupled with Baker’s resplendent, colorful illustrations created for each artist, this book will capture the attention in a high-impact delivery of memorable information. VERDICT A perfect companion for the recent H Is for Harlem and ideal for covering overlooked names in Black studies.–David Roberts