Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell

In this colorful picture book biography of singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, Alko covers Mitchell’s life from childhood through her experimental music sessions and 1970s album with the late Charles Mingus. Joni is a creative child, spending time painting and dancing, and though her parents love her and at times encourage and support her creativity—her mom teaches her bird calls and lets her paint on the wall of her room—the order and cleanliness of their house seems stifling to Joni, who feels “like an upside-down bird on a wire” in her childhood home. The story covers her suffering with polio and hints at the isolation she feels when her mom only visits once during the six weeks she spends at the hospital, as well as her crying in the intensity of her suffering, “I will make something of myself.” Alko portrays Mitchell’s journey from Canada to New York City to California and the musicians and relationships along the way that influence and shape her music and life, including Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen, James Taylor, and Graham Nash. Capturing many details of Mitchell’s life, the biography may feel long by the end, especially for those less interested in Mitchell’s life and work. Alko’s illustrations, created with acrylic paint, found objects, and wildflowers, are a remarkable collage of color, shapes, and feeling, true to the creativity and range of emotion and experience shared by Mitchell in her music. “I sing my sorrow, and I paint my joy.” An Author’s Note is included that explains Alko’s inspiration for the book and her personal connection with Mitchell and her work.