Product Description

Marian Anderson is best known for her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America. While this momentous event showcased the uniqueness of her voice, the strength of her character, & the struggles of the times in which she lived, it is only part of her story. Like the operatic arias Marian would come to sing, Ryan's text is as moving as a libretto, & Selznick's pictures as exquisitely detailed & elaborately designed as a stage set. What emerges most profoundly from their shared vision is a role model of courage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177551 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Amazon.com
As this skilled duo did with Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick bring to life the story of yet another remarkable American woman, gifted black contralto Marian Anderson.

Undoubtedly one of America's greatest singers, Anderson was hardly known in her own country because of her race--music schools ignored her applications ("We don't take colored!") and even after she began singing professionally, many venues only featured white performers. Ryan's well-paced story becomes especially poignant as she recounts Anderson's overwhelming success in Europe ("one newspaper in Sweden called it 'Marian Fever' ... In Austria, the world-famous conductor Arturo Toscanini announced that what he had heard, one was privileged to hear only once in a hundred years"). The book reaches its climax with a wordless, deep brown two-page spread from Selznick, a crowd's-eye view of Anderson singing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, an historic concert that drew an integrated audience of over 75,000.

Ryan's simple, metered text (punctuated frequently by lyrics) captures the quiet drama of Anderson's story, and kids will especially identify with the confusion and frustration of young Marian. And as with the pair's previous collaboration, Selznick's rich illustrations ably convey the undeniable strength and courage of a talented, determined woman. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly
The creative team behind Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride returns with a picture book biography as understated and graceful as its subject, singer Marian Anderson (1897-1993). Tracing the African-American diva from her beginnings as an eight-year-old church choir wonder ("the pride of South Philadelphia") through years of struggle to rise above the racism that would delay her debut with the Metropolitan Opera until she was 57, this book masterfully distills the events in the life of an extraordinary musician. Ryan's narrative smoothly integrates biographical details with lyrics from the gospel songs Anderson made famous: a passage about the budding singer's longing to perform onstage ("Opera was simply the sun and the moon a dream that seemed too far away to reach") segues to "He's got the sun and the moon right in His hands"; "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child..." follows a 2/3 spread of the singer on the bow of a ship bound for Europe, the sun creating a halo effect. Working with a sepia-toned palette, Selznick's paintings shimmer with emotion, his range of shading as versatile as Anderson's three-octave voice. Whether depicting her as barely visible beyond the crowds at her famous 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial or in a final scene of her stepping into the spotlight at the Met, the images are striking and memorable (particularly the soulful face of Marian herself as she matures from child to woman). The author's and artist's notes, timeline and discography round out this stellar effort. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 5-In extensive endnotes, Ryan and Selznick mention the many Eleanor Roosevelt stories they heard after publishing Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (Scholastic, 1999). One fortuitous tale, concerning the First Lady and Marian Anderson, led to this companion book. Instead of the silver tones of the earlier title, this one employs acrylics in gold, copper, and a range of browns. As the book opens, the theater curtains part to reveal a girl singing in a window, framed in light. The title page is a concert program. The foreshadowing, tightly controlled recapitulation of themes, and stylized scenes (frequently incorporating stages) combine to suggest a performance. Linguistically and aesthetically, the book is a marvel of unified design. A trip to the Metropolitan Opera inspires young Anderson to strive for the dream she obtains by the end of the book. Early on, her master teacher enthuses that she "will be able to go anywhere and sing for anybody." The irony is played out as she tours Europe, but is stopped short in DC's Constitution Hall. Enter the Roosevelts, and what follows is history. When Marian sings, her eyes are always closed, her face a study of faith deeply felt. Hymns and spirituals punctuate the narrative, carefully chosen to tie into plot. Share this feast for the eyes and the soul with a wide audience.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Good things come to they who wait, and wait, and wait...
This is an ugly book.
Ugly, in the respect of
disrespect for
true talent
unrewarded
in an age of ugliness in America.

The rich skin-toned shades of brown, borderline mono-chromatic
"makes" the book!

The use of italicized musical scores to accentuate certain historical occurances throughout the book merits NOTE.

What a woman.
What a voice.

I have mixed feelings about the uncle super-imposed; but on the otherhand, his making it inabstetia to the concert may have been in some other dimension --
atleast a notation was made of this "tall tale."

Bravo!

Encore!

Singing for the Soul
A little black girl named Marian Anderson loved to sing . She would sing to her baby doll everyday. Every Sunday she would go to church and sing with her sister. She and her family were very proud. She grew into her teens and still loved to sing. People say when Marian sang she would sing with her eyes closed ,as finding the music within. As marian sang her heart filled with tragedy and sometimes her songs.
Marian was a full grown adult and Marians parents past away She was sad but still sang.

She went to a music school and she patiently in line for an application. The girl behind the counter helped everyone else but Marian. The lady didn't let her have an application because she was colored. She grew older and married a fine man who respected her singing. She went to a master singer and he loved her singing so she sang and sang till the end of her days.

The Best Book
This book is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have ever read for my class. It teaches people, both young and old, a little piece of our American history including the Great Depression and segregation. With it, the tandum of Ryan and Selznick provide a general overview of history realia. Overall, this piece is a great resources to read for all people.