How Sweet the Sound

Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated.

Listen to the sound of survival, courage, and democracy—the soundtrack of America. Hear Billie Holiday’s raspy, mournful voice, and tap your foot to Louis Armstrong’s trumpet. Scream with James Brown and bop your head to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Can you spot the 80+ references to artists like Robert Johnson, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, and Beyonce? 

Come dance to Kwame Alexander’s melodious narrative of the history of Black music in America, accompanied by the vibrant illustrations of Charly Palmer. 

The book includes extensive back matter, providing even more context and history about the music and musicians.

• * “Laced with powerful imagery, alliteration, and onomatopoeia…, [Kwame’s] verse begs to be sung…. Palmer’s distinctive illustrations offer the perfect accompaniment. A work whose lyrical and artistic genius only becomes more apparent upon rereads."
  Kirkus, starred review
• *  “Palmer cranks up the visual energy with increasingly populous and sometimes kaleidoscopic images…. A “loud and proud” celebration of the roots and branches of a unique musical heritage.”
  School Library Journal, starred review
• * “This exuberant tribute to the profound influence of Black culture on the ever-evolving kaleidoscope of American music is a spectacular symphony in print and an inspiration to young readers to engage with their musical heritage and to ignite their own innovations.”
  Booklist, starred review
• "Black musical greats populate dramatic, color-drenched muralistic pages…And as the book winds down, music becomes the stuff of resistance, 'the soundtrack of America... the sweet sound of a people/ surviving and thriving.'"
  Publishers Weekly, starred review
• * “It’s an impressive feat for a book to evoke the rhythms and energy of music, and the sparkling prose here does just that, ringing with verve and imagery….Palmer’s acrylic illustrations saturate each page with bold hues and vibrant textures …. an energetic look at Black music through various eras.”
  BCCB, starred review
• “Free verse poems and vibrant paintings converge in this stunning nonfiction picture book that connects long struggle and expressive genius to capture the essence of Black music in America. Read to kids to foster a love and appreciation for the power of Black music, and they’ll absorb some important American history at the same time.”
  Common Sense Media
• Praise for An American StoryAn Indie Next List Pick
  An NPR Best Book of the Year
  A 2023 KIRKUS BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK
  A 2023 PW BEST PICTURE BOOK*"Beautifully crafted and brutally honest, this offers a thoughtful introduction to a necessary topic."
  – Booklist, starred review*"With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history."
  – Kirkus, starred review*"Alexander and Coulter have created a powerful counternarrative in their efforts to answer the question, “How do you tell a story about slavery?”
  – Horn Book, starred review*"A layered, compassionate telling that considers how to relay difficult truths, and as the art converges into a visual of past and present together, stirring concluding lines suggest a route forward."
  – Publishers Weekly, starred review