In this installment in the Little People Big Dreams series of picture books, the reader learns about Aretha Franklin. The book spans from her childhood in Detroit to her musical career. We learn of her friendship with Martin Luther King Jr and her pride at singing at President Obama's inauguration. We listened to some Aretha songs after reading this book so the boys could put a voice with the face.

This is a good quick-read picture book to teach kids about a musical icon.

Once again, Vegara creates a good introductory book for Aretha. The visuals are unique and have lots to discover upon re-reads, the sentences are concise, so the kids can join in on reading, and that moment near the end with Franklin singing at Obama's inauguration is pretty awesome.

I think it does more than enough to stoke interest in Aretha's music, if just listening to her in the first place wouldn't do it.

Great book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the advance read.

A fantabulous overview of Aretha Franklin's larger than life voice and music. I could hear her songs with every turn of the page.

This recent addition to the little people BIG DREAMS series features Aretha Franklin and her love of music while not shying away from her involvment in the civil rights movement, culminating with her performance at Barack Obamas inauguration.

First, we have the story, starting with Aretha as a small child, and after the story, there is a timeline which tells you the milestones of her life. There are further reading recommendations - both about Aretha and other installments from the series.

I am still amazed at the author's ability to tackle heavy topics without dragging the mood down. It's a gift. Certain topics need to be adressed, but introducing a toddler to how grim the world can be simply won't do to tickle their curiosity. Well done. Again.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

As typical for books in this series, the artwork is engaging and the writing is simple and effective. I'm glad that Aretha Franklin was chosen as a person to be highlighted as she had such a huge impact both on music and beyond. It would be great to have some music-related activities or listening suggestions at the end.

Another great edition to the Little People, Big Dreams series by Maria Isabela Sanchez Vegara. This latest book is about singer Aretha Franklin, the Queen Of Soul. It has some lovely illustrations and information about a strong woman growing up in America during hard times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

The book is full of pictures and the illustrations is something people of colour can identify with. I would love if the book had bigger text and more to share about her struggle. I believe children also need to know the bad with the good. Aretha Franklin is a fine example for little singers that if they want to achieve something they surely can and no privilege can stop them. The pictures are very eye catching and want you to read. It's a book I would say especially for children as small as 3 years old.

This was a fine entry into this series, but it was super surface level. Most of the other books I've read in the series have done a better job of giving you a good picture of the subject's life without being too detailed or complex for kids.

A beautiful book about Aretha Franklin's life and musical contributions. Her life is presented simply with lovely illustrations. It really brought the story to life. A wonderful addition to this series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Aretha was the fourth of 5 children. She grew up singing in church and her father took her to many churches to share her gifted voice. Aretha wanted to sing beyond churches. She was eventually offered a recording contract and became one of the most powerful voices in America.

As an educator, I would recommend this book as a part of classroom library or as part of a unit on biographies, or even as a part of Black History. I enjoyed this book about Aretha Franklin and I think it could help inspire a younger generation.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This picture book biography of Aretha Franklin is a wonderful addition to a great series. It shares her story in simple and child-friendly terms while still covering the main events of her life, and the vibrant illustrations are well-suited to a singer with such a passionate voice. The biography also strikes a good balance between focusing on her accomplishments as an African-American and as a woman. She was the first woman ever conducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and broke both racist and sexist barriers in the industry.

The author's note shares some additional details about her life, and four photos. This is a great book for children who are learning about significant historical figures, are studying black history, are interested in music, or want to learn about ground-breaking women. It's also an appealing quick read for adults, and I greatly enjoyed it.

I really enjoy this book series, and I love that every book has art that fits really well with the person! I feel like I learned a lot about Aretha Franklin that I didn't know about, and I think it really highlights relevant topics and experiences. These would be perfect to use in the classroom, especially since there is a wide variety of people featured!

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The My First Little People, Big Dreams series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but thats because theyre books for children, so its totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one here is about the great Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. I enjoyed reading about her story a lot. She was an incredible singer, with a unique, powerful and moving voice. And she was also a force of nature. I'm so glad children are able to read about her and her achievements.

I really adore these little books and I think they are an amazing way for children, but not only, to learn about great figures that changed our world.
This one about Aretha was truly fenomenal. It really highlightened the main aspects of her life, and the events that led her to become one of the most iconic and important singers of our times.
I also learned a lot more about her life, and some new facts that I completely ignored but I was so glad to come to know. I love Aretha's music and her personality, and I love that children will be able to know amore about this amazing woman.

Also, the illustrations in this one were actually amazing, like in every other book in this series. I can't wait for more.

I love this collection of books: Little People, Big Dreams, and this title is no exception. It provided relevant and interesting information about Aretha Franklin, and maintained an appropriate reading level for the audience. It was well written and the illustrations added to the story.

Aretha Franklin is the newest lead in this latest edition of the Little People, BIG DREAMS series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. This series is such a delight and the perfect way to educate not just kids but everyone about historic and cultural icons.

Aretha Franklin is an influential singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist who is dubbed the Queen of Soul. This book details Franklin's journey of becoming the first female inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to her performing at Obama's inauguration.

Amy Blackwell illustrates this installment and does an fantastic job. Blackwell's art style was so captivating and her art definitely further helped tell Aretha Franklin's' story. This installment easily became one of my favorite in the series. I love collecting these books and am so thrilled to add this one to the rest of my collection.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This series has about as many ups and downs as the scales this subject would have practised using, but this book is one of the better of the more recent ones. As usual we get the bare minimum needed to quality this as a biography, and learn how Aretha Franklin stood up for civil rights, and stood as one of the most well-loved musicians of her time. Part of the series' patchiness has been the standard of illustration, but the style here is nice – glossy, positive and colourful, and not trying to be too arty and overly designed. Not all of its target audience will rate her music (at least until they're a bit older), but these few pages show why Ms Franklin gained the RESPECT she did.

This series is always a joy to read, it’s a really nice introduction to well known people for little children. Of course the plot is always a little bit fast but that’s to be expected and it’s totally understandable.
This book gives a glimpse into Aretha's life and tells the story of her childhood as a gospel singer in her father's church and then of her rise to fame as the queen of Soul. It clearly shows how she became a famous singer thanks to her passion, which is an example everyone could look up to.

I love this series of books, and especially loved being able to learn more about the great singer Aretha Franklin. The illustrations were beautiful and colorful, and would be a great way to teach children of all races about the power of dreams and perseverance.

This book was precious!

I definitely recommend if you are Looking for an inspirational gift to give to the kid in your life.

This collection never stops impressing me.

The illustrations were gorgeous!