How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Zando – Hillman Grad Books
(pub.10.22.2024)
48 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Jay Leslie
Illustrator: Loveis Wise
Character: Lorraine Hansberry
Overview:
" As a young girl, playwright Lorraine Hansberry walked everywhere with a notebook, eager to capture the sights, sounds, and stories of the people around her.
First Lorraine watched her parents’ triumph in the Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee. Then she discovered the magic of theater. Next, she unlocked the power of her voice, crafting A Raisin in the Sun. Her play went on to influence generations of artists and the world was never the same."
Tantalizing taste:
"Lorraine climbed onstage as the chanting exploded into applause.
Years ago, people had tried to silence Lorraine's family.
Now their voices rang out in the biggest show on Broadway.
Her father's words came back to her.
Our stories can change the world.
'You're right, Papa,' she whispered."
And something more: Jay Leslie explained in A Note from the Author: "Lorraine Hansberry was an iconic writer who refused to be silenced - her voice rang out across the world. I was drawn to Lorraine's story because Lorraine was proud to be different... Like Lorraine, you can speak out for what you believe in. Your words are powerful, and your voice is strong."
In an interview with TeachingBooks, illustrator Loveis Wise answered the question of 'describe the book in three words': "I would describe this book as a book that speaks to resiliency, that speaks to legacy, that also just speaks to finding empowerment within oneself in such a deep way... I think Lorraine, in even her short life, built so much of a legacy, inspired by her family and what she went through as a youth that really catalyzed her into being this brilliant artist and thinker that inspired generations."
Updated: Feb 10
A Story of Prince
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Enchanted Lion Books
(pub. 11.19.2024)
68 pages
Ages 6 - 9
Author: Matthew Burgess
Illustrator: Sirin Thada
Character: Prince
Overview:
" Prince is remembered as one of the greatest musicians and performers of all time. But before he achieved global superstardom, he was a child growing up in Minneapolis, with a universe of music inside him. From his first forays into writing songs with his school friends to his unprecedented three-album record deal at 19, and his surprise hit film Purple Rain to performing at the Super Bowl, Prince was never afraid to blaze his own trail—creating something entirely new, entirely free, and entirely PRINCE that would shape music and culture and resonate with audiences for generations to come."
Tantalizing taste:
"Prince understood that a true superpower
is something you create out of love, hard work, and joy.
By following his own path, day after day,
the small boy with a universe of music inside of him
grew up to become ...
The Purple One."
And something more: The author, Matthew Burgess, shared in the Author's Note: "The act of becoming was no accident. It was a bold creative feat, fueled by Prince's tremendous energy and daring. In addition to developing the skills he would need to become a serious musician, the young Prince studied his musical heroes, wrote out the lyrics of his favorite songs, and made 'vision lists' of the things he wanted to experience and accomplish."
A Story of Ella Jenkins -
The First Lady of Children's Music
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Chronicle Books
(pub.1.7.2025)
60 pages
Ages 5 -8
Author: Traci N. Todd
Illustrator: Eleanor Davis
Character: Ella Jenkins
Overview:
"Ella Jenkins is an American folk singer and living legend dubbed 'The First Lady of Children’s Music.' For nearly 70 years, she has been writing and performing music that has entertained and engaged generations of young listeners. In Make a Pretty Sound, Ella’s life and legacy are captured in vibrant sights, sounds, and stories that leap right off the page.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Chicago, Ella grew up loving music of all kinds—the call-and-response of Cab Calloway, the exciting rhythms of Moroccan and Indian records spun in a local record shop, the bluesy notes her uncle teased from his harmonica. She listened to music from around the world, and no matter what language it was in, she could feel what it meant—the bridge in understanding and feeling that music offers from one heart to another.
When she began working with children, she knew just what to do. She knew music would offer children a kinetic learning experience that engaged them physically, verbally, and empathetically, creating community out of song. Soon, she was recording her own albums and became an international star."
Tantalizing taste:
"She tells the children to watch. To listen.
To clap, smack, pop, and paaah!,
each in their own way.
Over their music
in a voice sweet and clear,
Ella sings
songs the children know,
songs she makes up on the spot,
songs her mother hummed
while her brother jabbed at air.
Songs about growing up in Bronzeville,
about whistling with the birds.
And all at once,
all at once,
Ella knows:
It is time to go home.
And something more: The About Ella Jenkins section explains that "Ella's career has spanned nearly 70 years and touched generations of children and their grown-ups. In the earliest days of her career, she introduced young children of many ethnicities to the beauty and power of Black music and of music from all over the world. In 2004, the Recording Academy recognized her accomplishments with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards, and in 2005, the album cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins won a Grammy for Best Musical Album for Children. In 2023, she turned 99 years old - what a life she has lived!"
