A beautiful picture book biography about Ella Jenkins, "The First Lady of Children's Folk Song," and her contribution to children's music education.
Ella Jenkins is considered the first lady of children's music. At a time when children's music was mostly novelty songs and movie soundtracks, she believed that music could be a powerful tool to teach. From the very beginning, she believed that a child's natural curiosity and good nature could be fed by introducing them to the folk rhythms, music, and dance of cultures from all over the world.
This book tells Ella's story from the time she was a young child, first learning about music through her Uncle Flood playing harmonica, to her encounters with racial discrimination, and finally her involvement with the folk music movement and her discovery that music could be a powerful tool to teach children and bridge cultures, leading her to perform and work with children on all seven continents (including Antarctica!).
LIVING LEGEND: The text draws heavily from personal interviews the author conducted with Ella and her manager, which does a great job of helping to tell Ella's story in her own words.
WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS: Sings and celebrates today's continued need for more diverse books!
A GREAT GIFT: With rhythmic text and musical illustrations, this book makes a perfect present for anyone who loves music or nonfiction, or both!
Perfect for:
- Fans of Ella Jenkins
- Teachers and librarians looking for their next picture book biography
- Parents, teachers, and caregivers of children who love music or nonfiction, or both!
- Gift givers looking for a beautiful, musical book
