Sunday Service

From the critically-acclaimed writer of My Block Looks Like and Salon Saturday comes another picture book that celebrates a sacred ritual in Black culture: Sunday morning church services.

A young girl and her family wake up before the sun rises and begin their Sunday-morning routine for church. Dad greets everyone at the breakfast table with kisses while Mama presses pleats and lays edges. Soon the whole family piles into the car and sets the radio to the Gospel station.

The aisle becomes a runway as members of the congregation, dressed in their Sunday-morning best, find their seats among the pews. Once the service begins, the main character does her best to calm her nerves as she waits for her drum solo. She takes a deep breath before rat-a-tat-tatting on the snare and booming on the bass. The congregation explodes with joy, rocking and swaying, praying and praising!

The young girl’s family looks on with pride before piling back into the car and looking forward to doing it all again next week.