Ella Fitzgerald - (Great Black Performers) by Andrea Pinkney (Paperback)

About the Book

The inspiring story of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald is told in the voice of Scat Cat Monroe, a feline fan whose imagined narrative sings with the infectious rhythms of scat.

Book Synopsis

A stunning tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, one of the most popular female jazz singers of all time, from The New York Times bestselling and award-winning duo Andrea David Pinkney and Brian Pinkey.

Readers are taken on a journey through four tracks of Ella Fitzgerald's life, from the streets of Yonkers where she performed as a child to the stage of the Apollo Theater where her singing career began. From there, the story details how Ella became the star attraction with the Chick Webb Orchestra and how she and Dizzy Gillespie headline a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. Ella's rich voice and vocal innovations brought her fame and a remarkable career that spanned half a century and won her generations of fans around the world.

In this fantastical jazz biography, readers will experience the life of a vocal virtuosa who has gone down in history as the First Lady of Song.

Don't miss the Pinkneys' other picture book biographies:
Alvin Ailey
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

Review Quotes

"Brian Pinkney turns out some of his best work yet...A 'skippity-hop-doo-dee-bop' picture book."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Cue up the music and read this one out LOUD."--Booklist, starred review

"The prose is jazzy and rhythmic in the voice of a hipster, and it's expertly illustrated with images inspired by the works of Harlem Renaissance artists...Cool."--Kirkus, starred review

"The Pinkneys have delivered a quick, lively trip back in time."--The New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award.

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals.

The Pinkneys have been named among the "25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives" by Children's Health magazine. They live in Brooklyn, New York.