Sourcebooks to Publish Picture Book with Ketch Secor, Grammy Award–Winning Musician & Founding Member of Old Crow Medicine Show

Sourcebooks is thrilled to announce the publication of Grammy Award–winning musician Ketch Secor’s debut picture book, Lorraine, scheduled to be released October 2, 2018.
 
Secor is a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, a Grammy Award—winning group that has been inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2017, Old Crow Medicine Show released two critically acclaimed albums: Best of Old Crow Medicine Show (Nettwerk) and 50 Years of Blonde On Blonde (Columbia Nashville), a reimagined version of Bob Dylan's classic Blonde on Blonde album.
 
In writing Lorraine, Secor found inspiration from the Appalachian folktales he heard when living in eastern Tennessee during the infancy of Old Crow Medicine Show. “I’m interested in telling children’s stories using the traditional form found in folktales and incorporating all of these elements of music that both make it fun for kids and also harken to the richness of Tennessee culture,” said Secor.
 
Steve Geck, editorial director of children’s books at Sourcebooks, found himself drawn to the story’s deep roots in music and exploration of Americana. “Lorraine celebrates the bond a young girl shares with her grandfather through their mutual love of music. It’s sweeping, epic, and energetic,” said Geck.
 
The illustrator, Higgins Bond, is a nationally recognized illustrator and recipient of the 2009 Ashley Bryan Award for outstanding contribution to children’s literature. Best known for her work illustrating children’s biographies, including Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall, and adult books such as Alex Haley’s Roots: The Saga of An American Family, Higgins Bond was thrilled to partner with Secor. “I was excited for the opportunity to illustrate a story about a girl and her grandfather, and the love and healing power of music,” said Higgins Bond, who used her granddaughter as inspiration for the young girl, Lorraine.
 
“One of the things I’m most excited about this project is Higgins’s involvement and her illustrations,” said Secor. “I’m able to not only tell this Appalachian story, but also an African American story. There’s an important value to that, and writing a story from all of these voices has been inspiring to me. I’m really honored to be the one to tell it.”
 
“The combination of Higgins Bond’s bold, lavish illustrations and Ketch’s rollicking, rhyming story create an Americana fable reminiscent of Thunder Rose and Swamp Angel,” added Geck.
 
In Lorraine, Pa Paw and Lorraine spend their days celebrating life with the music of the Tennessee Hills. But when a fearsome storm rolls through, the two must rely on the power of music to get them through.

Promoting literacy, especially in his home state of Tennessee, is another important element of this project for Secor. “I live in a state that is oftentimes toward the bottom of the list in literacy and national education statistics. I hope this story can serve as a source of pride not only for the people who live in this region, but the many places that are underserved in children’s literature,” added Secor.
 
Secor will be on the road this spring and summer promoting Lorraine in advance of publication while on tour for Old Crow Medicine Show’s new album, Volunteer, which drops April 20. In October, Secor will go on a national event and media tour—visiting schools, bookstores, and libraries around the country.

Lorraine is available for pre-order now!

Barnes & Noble

Parnassus Books

Indiebound

Amazon.com

Books-A-Million