Your spirit will soar! A girl connects with heritage, history, and a higher power through the lyrics of twelve beloved spirituals and four seminal events in African American history.

A beautiful keepsake to be shared by multiple generations.

When I hear spirituals 
Sometimes
A big, full feeling
Grows in my chest . . .


Her heart pounds, she gets a lump in her throat, and tears flow down her cheeks. She wants to clap her hands and stomp her feet. There is healing, tenderness, strength, pride, and above all, hope.

The author of the classic picture book Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, Cheryl Willis Hudson, has woven together lyrics of twelve timeless, Black spirituals with a moving exploration of how music holds memories, emotions, and empowerment.

Songs include “Go down, Moses,” “Nobody Knows the Troubles I See,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Rock-a-My Soul,” “Get on Board, Little Children,” and more.  

Evocative illustrations by award-winning artist London Ladd depict important people and places in Black history and culture: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr.,  the Great Migration, and the Enslaved People’s Uprising of 1811. 

Journey through Black history and music in this layered picture book.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

★ “Hudson offers a history of spirituals’ development, from their African roots to the 2007 passage of a U.S. Congressional bill recognizing spirituals as “a national treasure.” A personal tribute to a beloved American art form.”—Booklist, Starred Review

“Willis Hudson movingly exalts the power of African American spirituals in a lyrics showcase that pairs existing verses with feelings they can evoke. . . Ladd’s ethereal acrylic, colored pencil, and cut paper illustrations render each characters’ heartfelt emotions.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An exuberant and picturesque celebration of African American spirituals. . . airing beautifully with the well-chosen lyrics and Hudson’s rhythmic, affirming text, Ladd’s richly saturated mixed-media illustrations demonstrate the cultural and historical importance of these songs. . . A deeply resonant work that speaks to these songs’ historical—and present—meaning.” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“[A] beautifully crafted celebration of African American spirituals.” – The Bulletin (starred review)

“Awash in glorious color, this title celebrates the power, history, and strength that African American spirituals have had, and continue to have, to lift and support people of all ages. . . No matter the level of reader familiarity with spirituals, this title brims with lyricism and soul-lifting strength through its emotional illustrations and compelling text.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“Hudson introduces young readers to the African American spiritual through descriptions of a young girl’s emotions and associations accompanied by relevant spiritual verses. . . Hudson’s illuminating text and Ladd’s expressive double-page spreads rendered in acrylic, colored pencil, and cut paper capture each aspect of the spirituals devoutly and respectfully.” – The Horn Book (starred review)