Charnelle Pinkney Barlow is an author, illustrator, and an expert tea drinker. Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, she now lives in central Illinois. Growing up surrounded by a family of artists nurtured her love of art. She received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2010 and her MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York, New York in 2012. Her debut children’s book Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan was nominated for Children’s Outstanding Literary Work at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards. Her first author/illustrated book Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar has received several starred reviews and was featured in The New York Times Book Review spring of 2023.

LITTLE ROSETTA AND THE TALKING GUITAR: THE MUSICAL STORY OF SISTER ROSETTA THARPE THE WOMAN WHO INVENTED ROCK AND ROLL

The picture-book is a biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll.  It is a warm, inspiring tale of a childhood filled with music, community, and a drive to succeed. In this stunning picture book, author and illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow imagines the childhood of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose rural roots inspired the music we still hear today. Young readers will see a child’s dream become reality through hard work and perseverance. Also, they’ll learn the overlooked story of a pioneering Black artist, whose contribution to music history is only now being discovered.