Our Joyful Noise

A joyful, jazzy picture book following a Black family through a week of shared moments and simple pleasures, woven through with hidden musical jewels from spirituals and songs.

We move to the sounds
that FLOW through our days.
Soft sounds, low sounds, LOUD sounds,
slow sounds.
Joyful, NOISEFUL, soulful sounds.
OUR sounds.

For this loving family, each moment of the day is filled with music, from the moment they wake to the sound of Mama humming them into a happy day as she plop plop plops berries into oatmeal, to bedtime when Daddy soothes them to sleep, strong hands smoothing brows, warm and slow, sweet chariots swinging low.

Gabriele Davis welcomes the sounds, songs, and rhythms that flow through her days in the northwest corner of Connecticut, where she writes, bikes, and reflects on the childhood memories that fire her imagination. The memory of her dad singing spirituals to Gabriele and her brothers at bedtime gave rise to her picture book Our Joyful Noise. Gabriele enjoys creating works that delight, inspire, empower, and reflect all children. Visit her at GabrieleDavis.com.

Craig Stanley was raised in Kansas City where his love of art was nurtured. He studied graphic design and illustration at The Creative Circus school in Atlanta. Now with more than two decades of experience creating art in the entertainment industry, Craig is known for his work with Tyler Perry Studios, Oprah Winfrey Network, Disney, Netflix, Sony, and many more. Craig lives in Atlanta with his lovely wife Coleen. You can see more of his work at CStanleyArt.com and Instagram @CStanleyArt.