"Mama may have, Papa may have, But God bless the child That's got his own! That's got his own." The song "God Bless the Child" was first performed by legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday in 1939 and remains one of her enduring masterpieces. In this picture book interpretation, renowned illustrator Jerry Pinkney has created images of a family moving from the rural South to the urban North during the Great Migration that reached its peak in the 1930s. The song's message of self-reliance still speaks to us today but resonates even stronger in its historical context. This extraordinary book stands as a tribute to all those who dared so much to get their own. A free CD of Billie Holiday's timeless recording of "God Bless the Child" is included to enjoy along with the book.

ビリー・ホリデイの名曲が、ジェリー・ピンクニーの筆致により、魂を揺さぶる「自立」の叙事詩へと昇華されています。南部から北部へ向かう大移動という歴史的背景を重ねることで、歌詞の一節一節が生存をかけた切実な祈りとして響きます。単なる教訓を超え、自らの足で立つことの孤独と誇りを、圧倒的な生命力と共に描き出しています。 特筆すべきは、絵画が歌詞の背後にある「語られざる物語」を鮮烈に補完している点です。緻密に描き込まれた家族の表情は、過酷な時代を生き抜く強さを体現し、読者の想像力を歴史の深淵へと誘います。言葉と視覚芸術が共鳴し、時代を超えて個の尊厳を問いかける本作は、まさに不朽の芸術的解釈と言えるでしょう。