Today I read Ode to Grapefruit.
If that title confuses you, you’re not alone. I was confused too. I only read it when I saw the subtitle: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice.
I’ve been Jones fan for decades, ever since he was the voice of Darth Vader, and of course liked him as Mufasa in The Lion King. I even liked him in weird places like Best of the Best (a martial arts movie). He’s a great actor, of course, but that voice is what made the first impression. That’s why this picture book was so intriguing: it tells the story of the years he spent first stuttering, then traumatized into dead silence in his youth.
Kari Lavelle’s story is lovely; it is spare, but poetic, and manages to evoke the rhythm that always filled James’ voice. It also tells the source of some of these rhythms: James’ teacher Professor Crouch, who taught him poetry, and encouraged James to recite his poem “Ode to Grapefruit” aloud.
Photo by Łukasz Rawa on Unsplash
Bryan Collier’s illustrations are poetic, blending abstraction, symbolism, and easily accessible tableaux.
I suggest this picture book to, well, everyone.
