Nina: A Story of Nina Simone

Nina Simone，本名Eunice Kathleen Waymon，生於北卡羅來納的小鎮，家裡充滿音樂，媽媽時常邊哼歌邊烤餅乾，爸爸則會抱著小小的她一起彈琴。
她不是家裡的第一個孩子、也不是最後一個孩子，卻是第一個唱歌比說話早，且還不會走路就能抓到音律的孩子。在教堂傳道的媽媽有時會把小Nina帶去，她很早就學了鋼琴，在家人和鄰居街坊的幫助下接受了音樂課程，修習認識了巴哈的作品，影響她一生、陪伴她一輩子。
小Nina曾在感恩音樂會表演，坐在第一排的爸爸媽媽卻被白人要求讓座，這讓Nina感到憤怒，她怒視白人、暫停演出，這才讓爸爸媽媽又坐回第一排。這事件在Nina心中埋下為生命發聲的正義種子。

她的音樂風格初期輕柔，而後愈來愈鏗鏘有力，就像媽媽佈道一樣，也如同Nina的職業生涯一樣：以Nina之名出道時聲音甜美，但隨著公民運動興起，Nina的聲音由甜美轉成雷鳴般的咆哮，為種族不平等、歧視，強烈地發出正義之聲。

This illuminating and defining picture book biography illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson, tells the story of little Eunice who grew up to become the acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy.

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in small town North Carolina, Nina Simone was a musical child. She sang before she talked and learned to play piano at a very young age. With the support of her family and community, she received music lessons that introduced her to classical composers like Bach who remained with her and influenced her music throughout her life. She loved the way his music began softly and then tumbled to thunder, like her mother's preaching, and in much the same way as her career. During her first performances under the name of Nina Simone her voice was rich and sweet but as the Civil Rights Movement gained steam, Nina's voice soon became a thunderous roar as she raised her voice in powerful protest in the fight against racial inequality and discrimination.