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, and 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, and Selznick's pictures as exquisitely detailed and elaborately designed as a stage set. What emerges most profoundly from their shared vision is a role model of courage.
From the Publisher
Distinctions and Praise for When Marian Sang: (partial listing)Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Orbis Pictus Award Winner for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
• "Linguistically and aesthetically, the book is a marvel of unified design . . . Share this feast for the eyes and the soul with a wide audience." --School Library Journal, starred review
• "This book masterfully distills the events in the life of an extraordinary musician . . . Stellar." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
• "Perfectly paced and perfectly pitched, this never loses sight of the fact that Marian Anderson was both a world-class musician and a powerful symbol to her people. A bravura performance." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Children's Literature
A moving portrait of Marian Anderson, this book is a beautiful marriage of text and illustrations. We follow Marian from her childhood, singing in church, through her rejection from a music school that refused to take "colored" to her glowing success despite the challenges of racism and prejudice. The text invites us into her life, and we ache with Marian every time she faces a struggle. Lyrics from songs Marian recorded are interspersed throughout¾they are perfectly placed so they advance the story, justifying the title page description of the text as a "libretto." For example, as she sails to Europe to escape the restrictions of America and to learn foreign languages to expand her repertoire, the words "sometimes I feel like a motherless child... a long ways from home" are printed over a luminous seascape. The evocative illustrations are done entirely in shades of brown, akin to sepia-tone photographs. The author and illustrator previously collaborated on the award winning Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride, and according to their notes in the back, a connection between Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson helped inspire this book. May such inspiration continue to arise. Judy Rowen
School Library Journal
Gr 1-5-Pam Munoz Ryan's powerful story (Scholastic, 2002) tells of the gifted African-American singer, Marian Anderson, and her struggles to overcome many racial barriers during the first half of the 20th century. Anderson is perhaps best known for her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before an integrated audience in 1939. The book concludes some 16 years later, when Anderson was the first African American invited to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Gail Nelson's clear, well-paced narration is well-suited to the story. Anderson's own voice is a powerful complement to the narration. Her incredible voice and her verses are deftly connected with the story of her life. Brian Selznick's exquisite book illustrations feature lush sepia tones. One side of the recording has page-turn signals, but the actual sound of a page turning may be difficult for young listeners to discern along with the many varied sound effects. A welcome addition to public and school library collections for music, social studies, and biography units.-Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Ryan and Selznick (Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, 1999, etc.) reunite for another magical collaboration, this time presenting Marian Anderson to a young audience. Using the visual metaphor of an operatic presentation, the production opens on the Metropolitan Opera stage just before performance, followed by a spread in which the audience watches as the curtain rises and a street scene reveals a tiny figure singing in a brightly-lit window. The shape of the volume lends itself to the broad sweep of the stage and even the title page reads like the show's program. Anderson's story is perhaps not well known to younger children, but Ryan does a good job of making it accessible. In simply stated prose she acquaints young readers, who may be disbelieving, with a time of social injustice when a person of color could not pursue a professional career in concert music and it was an act of personal courage to sing before racially mixed audiences. Verses of Anderson's most famous songs are included as they have meaningful application for events. The account includes the most notable episode in her life when, denied access to Washington's Constitution Hall because of her race, Marian sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of thousands-black and white. Selznick's carefully researched, sepia-toned, acrylic illustrations dramatize Anderson's strong, handsome face on most pages. That face is faithfully and powerfully rendered, eyes closed when singing, with an intense, almost sublime engagement in her music. The work culminates with another history-making moment when she realizes her dream and becomes the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. Selznick depicts herin this spread standing triumphantly in the spotlight, a vivid spot of color in an otherwise monochromatic treatment. A lengthy "encore" includes personal details and history from both author and illustrator; an "ovation" cites resources. Perfectly paced and perfectly pitched, this never loses sight of the fact that Marian Anderson was both a world-class musician and a powerful symbol to her people. A bravura performance. (notable dates, discography)
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