Spotlight on Carole Boston Weatherford

Carole Boston Weatherford has written many award-winning books for children, including Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square; Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement; and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Her recent books include RESPECT, By and By, The Roots of Rap, Be a King, How Sweet the Sound, In Your Hands, and The Legendary Miss Lena Horne. Carole lives in North Carolina.

Q: What inspired you to write about Aretha Franklin in your new picture book, RESPECT? What do you think people would be most surprised to know about her?

Aretha Franklin’s passing in 2018 reminded me how much I loved her music. My father was an Aretha fan and had a half dozen of her albums. We bonded over songs like “Ain’t No Way”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, and of course “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”, which was an anthem of the 1960s. The Civil Rights movement was underway, and when protesters were jailed, Franklin quietly paid their bail money.

Q: How does writing about a musician and the nature of her songs impact the way you focus on rhythm and spelling in your text?

RESPECT is a biographical tribute that riffs on Aretha’s signature song. The text is composed of rhyming triplets—all ending in the long "e" sound. A single word—spelled out and hyphenated—introduces each stanza. Those words, such as G-I-F-T-E-D and G-R-O-O-V-E, evoke Aretha’s greatness. That device not only mimics Aretha's hit but also makes the poem interactive. Children who can’t yet read can join in by spelling out those key words.

Q: RESPECT is illustrated by Frank Morrison. What was it like to see your words and Aretha's story take form in Frank's images?

Frank and I share a deep appreciation for Black music. I really admire his work, which combines painterly techniques and graffiti roots. The result is a masterful depiction of African American culture. My favorite illustrations in RESPECT are the pink Cadillac on the title page, the overhead perspective of young Aretha playing piano, and Aretha wearing an afro and dashiki. And, I want that boa on the cover! Frank interprets my narratives in ways that I can't envision yet find fresh and inspiring.