"As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes--big or small--in the world, in their communities, and most importantly, in themselves"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

This lyrical picture book debut from the presidential inaugural poet and activist shows that anything is possible when our voices join together as a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations. - (Baker & Taylor)

A lyrical picture book debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long
 
"I can hear change humming
In its loudest, proudest song.
I don't fear change coming,
And so I sing along."
 
In this stirring, much-anticipated picture book by presidential inaugural poet and activist Amanda Gorman, anything is possible when our voices join together. As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. 
 
With lyrical text and rhythmic illustrations that build to a dazzling crescendo by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, Change Sings is a triumphant call to action for everyone to use their abilities to make a difference. - (Penguin Putnam)

Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. Amanda’s activism and poetry have been featured on The Today Show, PBS Kids, and CBS This Morning, and in the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. In 2017, Urban Word named her the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. After graduating cum laude from Harvard University, she now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. The special edition of her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” was published in March 2021 and debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Her debut picture book, Change Sings, will be published in September 2021. Please visit theamandagorman.com. 




Loren Long is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Otis series which is in development as an animated television series. He's also the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama and Love by Matt de la Pena. He recently illustrated a modern edition of the Clement C. Moore classic The Night Before Christmas. He lives near Cincinnati with his wife and rescue hound, Charlie. Visit him online at LorenLong.com or on Twitter @lorenlong. - (Penguin Putnam)

Booklist Reviews

A Black girl in red Converse holds a large acoustic guitar and sits beside this book's opening words: "I can hear change humming / In its loudest, proudest song. / I don't fear change coming, / And so I sing along." In front of a beautiful, stained glass-like mural of Martin Luther King, Jr., she meets a white boy in a yarmulke, carrying a tuba. The two pair up and begin performing acts of community service, such as picking up litter and feeding the hungry, accompanied by poet Gorman's rhyming couplets, which are uplifting, inspiring, and refined. Long's stunning artwork, realistically rendered in acrylics and colored pencil, makes expert use of white space, rich colors, light, and shadow, as spreads alternate between placing figures against white backgrounds and displaying full-color scenes that span two pages. The positive messaging speaks to building bridges rather than walls and embracing differences, and with each new child encountered, the girl hands them an instrument, inviting them to take up the song. A lovely and loving call to action and kindness. Grades K-3. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

I'm a movement that roars and springs, / There's a wave where my change sings. A dark-skinned, guitar-playing young protagonist serves as a sort of Pied Piper for positive change in this debut picture book by National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman. Sporting a big afro ponytail, she walks through town, helping wherever she's needed, as other children join her in cleaning up trash, planting flowers, painting storefront walls, and more. The illustrations' details point subtly to the children's unique identities -- a variety of skin tones, a yarmulke, a wheelchair -- but as the protagonist articulates the unifying themes of cooperation, self-esteem, and empowerment, they all work together to make change with the resources they have, including their own hands. Long's (Someone Builds the Dream, rev. 5/21) powerful acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations bring each scene to life. A mural recalling stained glass and depicting Martin Luther King Jr. is featured near the beginning of the book; another mural declaring We Are the Change, which shows the protagonist and the other child activists joyfully playing music together, appears near the end. This inspiring call to action unambiguously suggests that every individual, regardless of age, can contribute to making the world a better place. Copyright 2023 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

"I'm a movement that roars and springs, /There's a wave where my change sings." A dark-skinned, guitar-playing young protagonist serves as a sort of Pied Piper for positive change in this debut picture book by National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman. Sporting a big afro ponytail, she walks through town, helping wherever she's needed, as other children join her in cleaning up trash, planting flowers, painting storefront walls, and more. The illustrations' details point subtly to the children's unique identities -- a variety of skin tones, a yarmulke, a wheelchair -- but as the protagonist articulates the unifying themes of cooperation, self-esteem, and empowerment, they all work together to make change with the resources they have, including their own hands. Long's (Someone Builds the Dream, rev. 5/21) powerful acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations bring each scene to life. A mural recalling stained glass and depicting Martin Luther King Jr. is featured near the beginning of the book; another mural declaring "We Are the Change," which shows the protagonist and the other child activists joyfully playing music together, appears near the end. This inspiring call to action unambiguously suggests that every individual, regardless of age, can contribute to making the world a better place. Michelle H. Martin January/February 2022 p.84 Copyright 2022 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Great expectations of wordsmith Gorman are not disappointed in this "children's anthem" to change. In rhyming verses, a first-person narrator sings along, telling readers, "I can hear change coming / In its loudest, proudest song." The poem does become a kind of song, as the child, a Black girl with glowing brown skin and textured hair, carries a guitar. As she joins with others, she hands them instruments, and together they change the world in large and small ways-delivering groceries and meals, cleaning up outdoor spaces, and making literal and figurative music with their deeds and their instruments. Long's illustrations offer an interpretation of the anthem that expands upon the text and becomes its own rhythmic story. A quiet opening and a stunning second spread one could gaze at for days are followed by spreads that alternate between white space and full color, climaxing with a crescendo and then ending on a soft, steady note, when the narrator looks out to readers, offering them an invitation to carry the song on into the world. In rich language and vivid art, this hopeful celebration of the life-affirming power of change to ripple out into a better future is irresistible. Text and poetry work together to regulate a careful reading of this beautiful work. (This book was reviewed digitally.) One to keep, to read, and to reread. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

This rallying cry, the picture book debut of presidential inaugural poet Gorman, opens with a cross-legged Black child strumming a guitar: "I can hear change humming/ In its loudest, proudest song./ I don't fear change coming,/ And so I sing along," the confident first-person rhyming narration begins. As the child walks past a vivid mural of Martin Luther King Jr., they encounter a light-skinned Jewish youth carrying a tuba. Outstretching a garbage bag, the first child entreats the second to join in cleaning up a park. The duo then continues through their city modeling serving actions: offering sustenance to a parent and child, delivering groceries to an elderly person, outstretching instruments to other children, and working toward community betterment. Subtle allusion to contemporary events ("Take a knee to make a stand") enrich the text. Acrylic and colored pencil illustrations by Long (Someone Builds the Dream) have a stunning depth of light and gradient, conveying a variously inclusive community working toward populating a symbolic mural of their own. This uplifting serenade will instill readers of any age with hope for the future and the initiative to improve it. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)