Before Legendary Actor James Earl Jones Was Recognized For His Memorable, Smooth Voice, He Was Just James--a Stutterer Who Stopped Speaking For Eight Years As A Child.and Ultimately Found His Voice Through Poetry.a National Council Of Teachers Of English Honor Bookbefore There Was Mufasa.before There Was Darth Vader. There Was A Young Boy Names James Earl Jones, Who Spoke With A Stutter And Dreaded Having To Talk In Class.whenever James Tried To Voice His Thoughts, His Words Got Stuck In His Throat. But James Figured Out A Solution For His Shame: If He Didn''t Speak, He Wouldn''t Stutter.and So He Was Silent.until He Wrote His Own Poem, Ode To Grapefruit, And Found A Love For Poetry.lyrical Text, Stunning Art, And Compelling Backmatter About Stuttering Pair Together For A Remarkable Picture Book About How A Boy Who Refused To Speak For Eight Years Learned To Manage His Stutter Through Poetry--and Grew Up To Become An Egot-winning Performer With A Voice Few Could Forget.