Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale

Send as gift Add to Wish List

Almost ready!

In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.

Welcome to the Cypher

by Khodi Dill

Narrator Khodi Dill

This audiobook uses AI narration.

We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.

Learn more

Length 6 minutes

Language English

Send as gift Add to Wish List

Almost ready!

In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.

Summary

“WELCOME TO THE CYPHER is a delight to read—a story that will move every part of you to a wild and wonderful beat.” —Jael Richardson, Author and Executive Director, The Festival of Literary Diversity

"WELCOME TO THE CYPHER is a beautiful, rhythmic exploration of the joy of language and self-expression. Our whole family loved how the bright illustrations and the bold words pulled us through this gorgeous book …We're HUGE fans!" —Bestselling authors, Alice Kuipers (the Polly Diamond series) & Yann Martel (Life of Pi)

Words burn bright in this joyful celebration of rap, creativity, and self-expression.

“Welcome to the cypher!

Now huddle up nice and snug.

You feel that circle around you?

Well, that’s a hip hop hug!”

Starting with beatboxes and fingersnaps, an exuberant narrator introduces kids in his community to the powerful possibilities of rap, from turning “a simple phrase/into imagery that soars” to proclaiming, “this is a voice that represents me!” As Khodi Dill’s rhymes heat up, the diverse crew of kids—illustrated in Awuradwoa Afful’s bold, energetic style—gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom in this wonderful picture book debut that is perfect for reading aloud.

Children's Music Nonfiction

Featured in these playlists...

BIPOC Audiobooks

Black Voices 2023

2022 BIPOC Audiobooks

Audiobook details

Author:
Khodi Dill

Narrator:
Khodi Dill

ISBN:
9781773215679

Length:
6 minutes

Language:
English

Publisher:
Annick Press

Publication date:
December 27, 2022

Edition:
Unabridged

Reviews

“A fun read-aloud and a safe introduction to hip-hop as a pathway to healthy child development.” — Kirkus Reviews, 07/27/21

“Welcome to the Cypher is a beautiful, rhythmic exploration of the joy of language and self-expression. Our whole family loved how the bright illustrations and the bold words pulled us through this gorgeous book into a space where we all felt like making our own creations. Drawings, poetry, and fun came to life in our household inspired by the vivid expression of this wonderful book. We're HUGE fans!” — bestselling authors, Alice Kuipers (the Polly Diamond series) & Yann Martel (Life of Pi)

“WELCOME TO THE CYPHER is a delight to read—a story that will move every part of you to a wild and wonderful beat.” — Jael Richardson, Author and Executive Director, The Festival of Literary Diversity, 09/21

“Dill has created a wonderful story that shines a light on an art form that is rarely represented in literature, particularly in children’s literature. The rhyming syntax makes WELCOME TO THE CYPHER a great book to read aloud and for readers to interact with. This wonderful and fun story encourages kids to be themselves and to support one another to speak up for what they believe in. This book is recommended for school-aged children and would be perfect to be read aloud in the classroom and shared with friends and family. Highly Recommended.” — CM Reviews, 09/03/21

“This lovely book is all about being brave, stepping up, and being heard.” — Booklist, 10/15/21

Expand reviews

Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale