Case study
Sound Archive Books
Abigail
and the Journey of a Pack Horse Librarian
A Chatham Rabbits song became a hand-painted children’s book about the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians of the Great Depression, written by Sarah McCombie and illustrated by Kelley Wills. It is the first book from Sound Archive Books.
This is a song about a girl and her horse.
The song that inspired the book
Born on stage.
Abigail began as a song (opens in a new tab) by Sarah McCombie, which she and her husband, Austin, played on stages across North America as Chatham Rabbits.
The book was surprise-announced on stage at a sold-out hometown show at The Pyrle in Greensboro, NC, then launched the following week at the Public Library Association Conference in Minneapolis, with two live sessions at Ingram’s booth and VIP party.
The history behind it
Books on horseback.
During the Great Depression, the federal government funded a program that paid women to ride horses and mules deep into the mountains of Appalachia, delivering library books to families who had no other way to get them.
These women gathered over 200,000 books themselves. They served more than 50,000 people. They did it on horseback, through the hollows and ridgelines of Kentucky, with nothing but determination and a saddlebag full of stories.
Nearly a century later, Abigail found its home in libraries too: it debuted at the Public Library Association Conference.
Inside the book
Paintings, a song, and a guide.
- Hand-painted illustrations by Kelley Wills, 36 pages of them.
- The story of the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, told through the song.
- An educator’s guide in the back: more stories, chord charts for the music, and lesson material.
- An appendix that invites children to explore the ideas, places, and curiosities behind the story.
In all my years working in publishing, I have never quite seen anything like this book.
For libraries.
The Pack Horse Librarians understood that books open doors. Abigail carries that spirit into libraries, where it can send young readers off exploring worlds beyond its pages.
For classrooms.
The educator’s guide turns the book into a starting point: stories, chord charts, and lesson material for teachers.
For the people who made it.
Sarah McCombie is half of the North Carolina Americana band Chatham Rabbits and a former K-8 music teacher. Kelley Wills is a freelance illustrator in Eugene, Oregon, whose work celebrates the magic of the everyday.
The book
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Available Now Sound Archive BooksChildren's Book
Abigail: and the Journey of a Pack Horse Librarian
(opens in a new tab) $40.00 Buy at Sound Archive Books
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