Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music

Product Description

The first ever children’s book by music legend Willie Nelson and his sister and bandmate Bobbie Nelson!

“We had so little money, but so much love.”

He was a boy with a guitar. She was a girl with a piano. Raised by loving grandparents in Depression-era rural Texas, their humble beginnings playing local shows to put food on the table started Willie and Bobbie Nelson on a remarkable path to global stardom. In a story filled with details of a childhood in rural Texas—with church socials, general stores, and town dances—Willie and Bobbie weave together an inspiring story of a long-ago time. With triumphs and tragedies, hard work and determination, here is a deeply personal, gorgeously-written, and profoundly moving tale of hope.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-Country legends Willie Nelson and his sister, Bobbie Nelson, come together in this touching homage to family, music, and a life of connection. In a back-and-forth narrative that could easily be set to music, they describe their bucolic American upbringing of garden-picked vegetables, joyful church services, and unlimited love from the grandparents who raised them. Education was paramount in their home-books and music were as important as hard work. Willie and Bobbie felt such passion for music that it felt like another family member. It healed them, filled them with joy, and connected them in a way that nothing else could. The illustrations are infused with muted colors, evoking a sense of nostalgia and providing a backdrop to let the lyrical prose take center stage. Realism fills the illustrations with authenticity, so fans of these siblings will feel that they are getting to know this legendary duo from a whole different perspective. VERDICT A sentimental purchase for Willie’s fans rather than children. Purchase where Willie reigns supreme.-Kate Davis, Fort Lupton Public & School Lib., COα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“A personal-feeling family story that firmly reinforces the power of music as connective tissue in two country stars’ lives.”—
Publishers Weekly

“A cute collectible.”—
Kirkus

About the Author

WILLIE NELSON is a music legend and national treasure with a six-decade career and over 200 albums. This iconic Texan is the creative genius behind the historic recordings of
Red Headed Stranger,
Crazy, and
Stardust. Willie has earned countless awards and accolades as a musician, in addition to being a celebrated author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a musical and cultural force, writing, singing, and playing with the wit and wisdom that comes from a life on the road. Learn more about his work on willienelson.com and follow him on Instagram at @willlienelsonofficial and on Twitter and Facebook at @willienelson.

BOBBIE NELSON has played piano alongside her brother, Willie Nelson, for more than 50 years. She started in Abbott, Texas, as a young musician and reconnected musically with Willie in 1973 to record his album
The Troublemaker. She has been a member of his Family Band ever since. In 2007, at age 76, Bobbie released her solo debut,
Audiobiography, and in 2014, the brother-sister duo put out
December Day, inspired by their many years playing and recording together. She is an inductee in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, and the state of Texas declared February 23 as “Bobbie Nelson Day.”

CHRIS BARTON (co-writer) is the author of a number of acclaimed picture books, including
Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee and a Junior Library Guild selection. He lives in Austin, Texas. Learn more about his work at chrisbarton.info and follow him on Twitter at @Bartography.

KYUNG EUN HAN lives in Anyung, Korea, and is the illustrator of the picture book biography
Hard Work, But It’s Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter. See more of her work on Instagram at @kyung