The Idea in You by sales-abramsbooks

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

: V \i ·'.I.·,,-:;_,. ,, .•• ; ,' / s-P ,_,. :'•lt 'i¥l:i[ •.. , ./·.·JJ .,,.., 1,.>::.;, .. . ,:, ,. >;,,...x; ij, ,.'_.) / ...r··\ ,-'\: :<-'-•' THE •• .-:< >• -- .--/ l[tUSTRATEb� BY SEAM QUALLS ·,,·,.�, ;i .· ,_,.•••, .' . • ' . . *

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

THE IDEA IN YOU

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

I dedicate this story to the internal child in all of us. Never dismiss your dreams and ideas.

— Questlove For Diane. Thank you for cheering me on along the way.

— S.Q.

The illustrations in this book were made with acrylic paint, paper, collage, and pencil.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-4197-3826-5 eISBN 978-1-64700-050-9

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Published in 2024 by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Abrams Books for Young Readers are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below.

Abrams ® is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Printed

and bound in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

QUESTLOVE

Abrams Books for Young Readers • New York illustrated by SEAN

QUALLS

An idea can come from anywhere.

Start here:

Reach up into the sky and unhook a star.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

... , I ',, 4, •••• \l ,,. \. _. ' R,,. .. :. • L l · l .. ., .. I· ''· ,. : ... , "j r ·, ., ( • 1:: • / ..._ .·..._I ..,:,._.._;--. l /. ,_1/ . ,:._t,,,_.,.· .•.· •, ,.J' : f,; : ·:.. •, ·., , • \ 1. \ =-:,._ ;::.•· ,,,._ rJ.;,r ...:-.-- · :-.·"t:.,-..,...-,, ,·'"I,,'-t?"\ "'.fI \ .;,."",::. .- -: •. :.·: ' ( ,f • (i . , , I

Look at what is in your hands and listen to your heart. Now the star is yours. You can use it as you like.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

• _:__r· ., --::-•• .-.,,... . .,.,"' , ;. .,,,. .,, -.·.. ,, .. ' • I • .. , -· . . , •. f, ' . , I :• I •:, \ ,• I I• I... :...:..-.: ...--_..:. .. .• - :: ; .; f ,,

Look at it from one side. Look at it from the other side.

Toss it, turn it, spin it, flip it upside down.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Even when you have turned it all the way around, it’s still yours.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Maybe it makes a sound. You can turn it into a melody, a beat, a song.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

It might twinkle with music . You can clap to its rhythm and dance.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

• • • •

It might tell a story, one word speaking to the next, and on down the line.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

. .

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

You can add any ingredient you want. Close your eyes, stir it up, taste it!

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

.... "... ., .. • '* • • •· • • •

It may need a little sweetness, or maybe some umami,

building a depth of flavor.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

·'• ij, \ ··4-t

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

It may need more salt. You might shed a tear, taste it again, feel something new.

Maybe you need to change your surroundings.

Think

about something remembered or overheard.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

••

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

• • • • • • • • ( • • • • • • • t' • • • •

Today is not the only day you have with your star. You can mold it with your hands, let it take shape, hook it back into the sky, come back to it tomorrow.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

\ Jri ., \ .. ' $. .,._<7::: .,. '· ...... f II. .• ,,, • ,I .. .! • Ii '' I, I

Everyone unhooks a different star. And sometimes a star isn’t a star: It’s a planet, it’s a plane, it’s a tiny object only you can see.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

-<. ;.,:f . ,-.:,\'...,"' ...,::.. . , ' ., .. .-· . ,. .... -

Sometimes someone else unhooks it for you. And then you can hold that star together, play its notes together, tell its story together, let go of it together, and send it off into the world.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

• ·iJ>:· • • • • • • * • • • • • • • • ,I • • • • * • .....

An idea can come from anywhere.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Now, where will it go?

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

A NOTE FROM QUESTLOVE

In thinking about what I might write for this book, there was never really any question. I wanted to focus on ideas and how to encourage them into the world. I grew up in a family of artists: musical artists, people who had a sense of fashion, people who loved writing and movies and TV. What sat at the heart of all of that was ideas.

I learned in my childhood how to find the ideas within myself and find ideas within the world that I could connect back to myself. It’s important for me to try to show kids the way to do that.

This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.

Ideas are what the future needs, and it all starts with encouraging our youngest minds.