Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. (additional facts, author’s note, illustrator’s note, bibliography)īewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great. Rather, Asim and Collier laud his steadfast determination and lifelong dedication to learning.Īn outstanding achievement and a life worthy of note. Washington’s was not a life filled with anger and fiery oratory. The cover display type and the endpapers, which are taken from Webster’s American Spelling Book, embellish this ode to book learning. Each tableau is beautifully composed and balanced with textured colors and patterns. A map route is a design on his shirt, and letters and words from the speller he cherished decorate the pages. Asim’s lyrical text transforms the journey into a spiritual awakening for a young man who had “a dream in his soul.” Collier is in brilliant Caldecott Honor style, using his signature watercolor paintings and cut-paper collage to incorporate elements from Booker’s life and visions into each illustration. With the help of neighbors who share their precious coins, he travels, mostly on foot, from West Virginia with hunger, cold and weariness as constant companions. The young Washington, who learned his letters from a spelling book his mother gave to him, hears about Hampton College in Virginia, over 500 miles away.
A former slave fulfills his quest for an education and much more in this superbly designed tribute to an oft-maligned African-American educator and author.
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