My Voice Is a Trumpet

Country music singer Allen presents a rhyming ode to the range of voices people have, varying in volume, tone, and age, and extending to those conveyed internally and through sign language. Sharing positive ways in which one’s voice can be used, the book highlights words throughout in different colors: “I will learn to SPEAK UP/ to show I am strong,/ TO STAND FOR WHAT’S RIGHT,/ and to know what feels wrong,” reads one spread, which shows a Black child with purple glasses introducing themselves to a light-skinned, curly-haired child eating alone at lunch. Johnson supplements the lyrical text with soft-hued, gently textured art, featuring a cast inclusive across ability, age, hair texture, skin color, and religion that occasionally mirrors the text and occasionally diverges. This short, optimistic picture book urges children to steward their voices well. Ages 3–7. (July)