Build a House

Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut.

As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has long used her art to mine America’s musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation’s musical heritage.

With bold illustrations by painter Monica Mikai, Build a House tells the moving story of a courageous people who would not be moved and the music that sustained them through untold challenges. Steeped in sorrow and joy, resilience and resolve, turmoil and transcendence, this dramatic debut offers a proud view of history and a vital message for readers of all ages: honor your heritage, express your truth, and let your voice soar, even—or perhaps especially—when your heart is heaviest.

Based on the song “Build A House,” composed for the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth and performed with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Build a House confronts the history of slavery in America.

“Start this book at the back, where there’s a QR code to scan. As you listen to the powerful, plaintive strains of Giddens’ voice, accompanied by Yo-Yo Ma on the cello as they perform “Build a House,” turn the pages and follow the story in the illustrations … Build a House is brimming with energy, simultaneously placid and raging.” ~ Booklist

For more information, please visit www.rhiannongiddens.com/build-a-house.