Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Alice Faye Duncan (I Gotta Sing)!
About the Book:
Sing along with Big Baby Jenkins, Pop Charlie, Great Nana, and a crew of farm animals as they shout for joy to this rendition of an African American spiritual!
From the author and illustrator team that brought you This Train Is Bound for Glory comes another riveting interpretation of a beloved African American spiritual, “I’m Goin’ a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing,” featuring farm animals. With illustrations that pop off the page, rhythmic text, and onomatopoeia for the youngest reader, I Gotta Sing! delivers a lively story that will quickly become a family favorite.
Hezekiah Big Baby Jenkins runs from the breakfast table to the farmyard begging Pop Charlie to sing. As he plucks his diddley bow, Pop Charlie smiles and invites the animals and Big Baby to join in the music.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
I gotta sing when the Spirit says sing.
and shout in the Spirit of joy!
Before long, the rowdy crew are singing, mooing, oinking, and clapping along to the toe-tapping tune. But when Great Nana calls that it’s bath time because “warm water and bubbles won’t last all day,” will the party end? Or will Pop Charlie snap snap snap the tempo back to life?
The lyrics of “I’m Goin’ a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing” have evolved across the ages. At the end of the book readers will find an invitation to write a version of the song for a new generation.
~Author Chat~
What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Children love music, movement, and a goodtime. I wanted to put these three elements in a book.
I GOTTA SING is my attempt to do that.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
I love all the characters because each one, including the animals, is some part of my personality. The one character named after my favorite grandfather is Hezekiah “Big Baby” Jenkins. And like my grandfather who grew-up in rural Tennessee, Big Baby takes his bath in a large tin tub.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
The title arrived first. Then I went on a journey to plot a story around a busy baby, who wants to sing, clap, and dance, more than soaking in bubble bath.
What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I had to go back in time to my childhood when I ran from my mother during bath time. Getting that emotional arch correct was crucial. Big Baby is me, 50 years ago.
Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I wrote my first book for the Macmillan Publishing company when I was 24 years old. Within those 30 years, I have learned that good writing happens during the rewriting and editing process. Revised revisions make poetry sing.
What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The book cover for I GOTTA SING is filled with palpable light, joy, and good times. Before the first page is turned, a reader understands that a party is about to start.
What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024? My new book for 2025 is THE DREAM BUILDERS BLUEPRINT. It is an unfamiliar history about Dr. Martin Luther King and the specific message he spoke to children.
What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
INVINCIBLE by Wade Hudson and E.B. Lewis
What’s up next for you?
I am writing my first adult book. It is a memoir about life with my mother, Earline Duncan. I was my mother’s only child, self-centered, lazy, and loud. As Mama lived a life of faith, forgiveness, and gratitude, her infectious light inspired me to find my own.
What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
Sing. Dance. Shout. Make a joyful noise!
What would you say is your superpower?
I hope that kindness is my super power. I have survived so many humbling moments. I understand beyond a shadow of doubt, compassion wins.
Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I support organizations that help the unhoused because all of my life, I have lived in a home filled with love, acceptance, and grace. Every child deserves to dwell in such a place. Big Baby lives in that kind of home.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Revised revisions make writing sing.
Is there anything that you would like to add?
Declare and decree the success you want to see. Job 22: 28
