Libba

Libba is a lyrical picture book biography of Elizabeth Cotten, the legendary African American folk musician. It tells the inspiring story of a young girl who, despite being left-handed and having only her right-handed brother's guitar, taught herself to play by flipping the instrument. By age eleven, she had composed "Freight Train," a song that would become a twentieth-century classic. The book highlights her determination, creativity, and the enduring impact of her music, making it a wonderful read for children aged 4-11 interested in music, history, or stories of perseverance.

Elizabeth Cotten was only a little girl when she picked up a guitar for the first time. It wasn't hers (it was her big brother's), and it wasn't strung right for her (she was left-handed). But she flipped that guitar upside down and backwards and taught herself how to play it anyway. By age eleven, she'd written "Freight Train," one of the most famous folk songs of the twentieth century. And by the end of her life, people everywhere from the sunny beaches of California to the rolling hills of England knew her music.