Charley's Honky-Tonk Mission

A rollicking picture book biography about Charley Pride, the first Black country music superstar.

   He was gonna ride the clouds outta Sledge, Mississippi,
   with his rich, ringin’ rhymes
   and change the world one ditty, one ditty,
   one ditty at a time.

Charley Pride was born with a honky-tonk mission: to bring all types of folks together through music! A multitalented singer, he played baseball in the Negro Leagues before exploding onto the country music scene. In the face of racism and segregation, he united diverse crowds throughout the 1960s and 70s and later became the first Black performer inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

With expressive rhyming verse by debut children’s book author Beatrice Winifred Iker and glowing illustrations by debut illustrator Miguelina Milien, this inspiring picture book biography celebrates a figure who paved the way for many, from Tanner Adell, Darius Rucker, and Mickey Guyton to Shaboozey and Beyoncé.

Features illustrated backmatter with full biography of Charley Pride's life, archival interview excerpts, and author's note!Beatrice Winifred Iker (they/them) is an Appalachian storyteller, trail hiker, and tarot reader. They are the author of the adult horror novel I'll Make a Spectacle of You, and a Rhysling and Dwarf Star Award–nominated poet. Charley's Honky-Tonk Mission is their children's book debut. Beatrice co-hosts the Ignyte Award–winning Afronauts Podcast, which discusses and uplifts Black speculative fiction. They are a Voodoonauts Fellow.

Instagram: @BeatriceWinifredIker Bluesky: @BeatriceIker.bsky.social Website: BeatriceIker.com

Miguelina Milien (they/them) is an Afro-Latine illustrator and comic artist inspired by nature and their culture. Through their work, they hope to bring out the colorful aspect of the everyday connections that we make—with the world around us, with each other, and with ourselves.

Instagram: @sleepiis Website: MiguelinaMilien.com