DENENE MILLNER
Early Sunday Morning
ILLUSTRATED BY VANESSA BRANTLEY-NEWTON
Angela and Tommy whisper and giggle as I walk back to my seat. “Good grief, Sister Sarah could have just given that solo to a goat. It may not remember the words but at least it would get the notes.� Their words stung. So did my tears.
Everybody knows I am nervous and so they all tell me their ideas for how I can sing my song strong and clear. Auntie thinks wearing a new dress will help. “Looking fancy makes you feel brave!� she promises.
But he gives me peppermints and money for the offering and a hug and lots of kisses to help me be brave. “If you get nervous, just pick a spot in the church and sing to it like you do your mirror,” he says. “Daddy will be there with you in spirit, singing along with you.” Knowing this will have to do.
When our youth choir marches through the doors, every eye is on us. We float down the aisle like an army of angels, lifting our voices in praise, all the way up to the rafters. And right there on the front pew is Mommy, smiling and singing and shaking her tambourine.
Early Sunday Morning DENENE MILLNER
ILLUSTRATED BY VANESSA BRANTLEY-NEWTON Love and family. These are the things that a little girl finds most special about Sunday mornings. Early Sunday Morning follows June, Mommy, Daddy, and brother Troy through their weekend routine as she prepares for a special performance leading the children’s choir at church on Sunday morning. Readers spend the weekend with June as she collects helpful advice on ways to be less nervous about her big solo. Along the way, she visits the barbershop with Mommy and Troy, gets her hair done by Mommy, gets a special dress from her aunt, and shares her family ritual of getting ready for Sunday morning service. As her special moment approaches, June leans on the support of her whole family, and advice from her father, to conquer her fear of singing in front of the congregation. Early Sunday Morning is a heartwarming portrait of a young girl and her family, and a charming celebration of the special time they share together every Sunday. Promotion on MyBrownBaby.com | BEA promotion | Select author appearances Extensive national bookseller marketing campaign | Special prepublication mailings Extensive national blogger outreach | Social media promotion | Library outreach DENENE MILLNER is a contributing editor at Agate Publishing, where she directs the Denene Millner Books imprint. She is the founder and editor of MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that chronicles the intersection of parenting and race. Millner has authored or coauthored 25 books, including four New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters.
PUBLICATION DATE: MARCH 2017 | TRADE CLOTH | 978-1-57284-211-3 For more information, call Agate Bolden at 847.475.4457 or inquire via agatepublishing.com. Please supply two tear sheets of any published review. 1328 Greenleaf St., Evanston, IL 60202