Before There Was Mozart - Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome

Before There Was Mozart by Lesa Cline-Ransome illus. by James E. Ransome
This is a biography about Joesph Boulogne a not so well known classical artist. Joesph was born in 1739, his mother was a slave and his father a plantation owner. He was exposed to music at an early age and given violin lessons. When Joesph was nine the three moved to Paris where slavery was banned. Once in Paris, Joesph's father gave him the title, Chevalier de Saint George. To get along in Paris society a title was necessary.

I loved that the chapters were called movements. A favorite fact learned.

"On his twenty -first birthday, Joesph was given a beautiful and costly violin, made by Nicolo Amati, teacher of the world famous violin maker Stradivari"

Ransome's illustrations have an elegant and sophisticated feel, fitting the text perfectly. This is a very good introduction to Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint George. With non fiction picture books I believe a time line is essential, especially if the subject is not well known. There is no timeline, though the author does include an author's note.

Sometimes comparing books can't be helped. While reading this I found myself thinking about the other biography on Joesph Boulogne, "The Other Mozart" by Hugh Brewster. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I checked out The Other Mozart from the library to see how they matched up.

The two compliment each other very well. Before There Was Mozart is targeting a younger audience. I could easily see someone, reading Ransome's first, then moving onto the Brewster's for more on Joseph Boulogne life.

An excerpt

I've linked this post to Non Fiction Monday. This weeks round up can be found at Apples with Many Seeds.

The Little Piano Girl Ann Ingalls - Mary Ann Macdonald - Giselle Potter

The Little Piano Girl: by Ann Ingalls & MaryAnn Macdonald illus. by Giselle Potter This is the story of Mary Lou Williams a famous female jazz musician. She played around the world and composed and arranged music for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman.
Duke Ellington said of her, Mary's music retains a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul." (the above came from the afterword)

The story itself is a wonderful look at a female jazz musician many might unfamiliar with (inculding myself) When Mary Lou Williams was three years old she would sit on her mother's lap and play a tune on the piano. Mary Lou spent most of her time playing the piano. When the Williams family moved to Pittsburgh in search of employment at the steel mills, they had to leave the piano behind.

Mary Lou was bullied in Pittsburgh. Though she had no piano that didn't keep her from playing.

"Ugly names and cruel words. Mary called them bad sounds, and she taught herself to play them out. Even without a keyboard, she could do it. Tapping on the tabletop, she beat back the bad sounds. She crooned and whispered and shouted out until her spirit was lifted free."

I love the rhyhtm of that passage, and many others. The authors give readers a very good appreciation of Mary Lou's muscial skill and how much people enjoyed it.

"When Mary cut loose, people couldn't stay still. They set to clapping, tapping, finger- snapping. Her blue notes made people want to cry at just how hard life can be. Her crazy chords made people shimmy their shoulders and shake their heads, high and happy. Mary would play a deep, powerful bass with one hand and lay a lacework of edgy blues over the top of it with the other. Her music rolled and slid and jumped along, zigzagging and giant- stepping."

The illustrations are great and a perfect fit for the text. I always love Potter's use of color. While reading , I was reminded of something else illustrated by Giselle Potter and it finally came to me. The album cover for Jazz for Kids: a great jazz CD for kids.

The Little Piano would be a great addition to any library. ages 5up. It could be paired nicely with Piano Starts Here: by Robert A. Parker. A biography on jazz great Art Tatum.

Read an excerpt
A review @ NC Teacher Stuff

I've linked this post to Non Fiction Monday. The round up can be found this week at Books Together

Seeds of Change Jen Cullerton Johnson Sonia Lynn Sadler

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson and Sonia Lynn Sadler

This is a wonderful picture book biography on Wangari Maathai the first African woman and environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize

When Seeds of Change begins when a young Wangari Maathai is learning the importance of trees from her mother. Though many Kenyan girls didn't get an education at the time, Wangar's parents allow her to go to school.

"Wangari walked the long road to a one-room schoolhouse with walls made of mud, a floor of dirt, and a roof of tin. In time she learned to copy her letters and trace numbers. Wangari's letters soon made words, and her words made sentences. She learned how number could be added and subtracted, multiplied and divided. Animals and plants, she discovered, were like human beings in many ways. They needed air, water and nourishment too."

Johnson doesn't waste a line or word, everything leads to another fact. The author gives a reader (of any age) a great sense of who Wangari Maathai is, a woman who loves her country and believes in the power of trees to save, enough to go to jail for. I liked Sadler's use of color. Though the illustrations didn't enhance the text for me. After the first few pages my focus was on Johnson's words.

"America had changed Wangari. She had discovered a spirit of possibility and freedom that she wanted to share with Kenyan women. She accepted a teaching job at the University of Nairobi. Not many women were professors then and even fewer taught science. Wangari led the way for other women and girls. She worked for equal rights so that female scientists would be treated with the same respect as male scientists."

There was another picture book biography on Wangari Maathai released this year called Mama Miti: by Donna Jo Napoli - I liked it but I was left wanting to know more. These biographies probably shouldn't be compared since the authors took different approaches but its inevitable that they will be. So all things being equal, Seeds of Change is my favorite.

Check out a few professional reviews via Lee & Low Books

I've linked this to Non Fiction Monday roundup which can be found at Charlotte's Library this week.