Culture 2: African American Literature

Module 2


Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 2002. Ella Fitzgerald: The tale of a vocal virtuosa. Ill. by Brian Pinkney. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078680568-4

Summary: This biography highlights the life of Ella Fitzgerald, one of the foremost jazz singers of all time. It’s told from the perspective of Scat Cat Monroe, an imaginary cat who claims to have been there with Ella “from the get-go”. Ella is a young girl who likes to dance but discovers that her greatest gift is her voice. We see her as she starts out on the streets of Yonkers and winds up at Carnegie Hall. We see her as she grows from a young girl with “knees knockin’, teeth clackin’. A wanna-be, with a stomach full of butterflies” to someone who “everybody knew . . . was boss.” The story brings out her experiences with jazz musicians such as Chick Webb, Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman in venues such as the famed Savoy and Carnegie Hall. The story gives a grand, imaginative picture of the life of a woman known as The First Lady of Song.

Critical Analysis: This picture book biography takes artistic risks both in the way it is written and illustrated. While it is factual, it is written from the point of view of an imaginary cat named Scat Cat Monroe, He takes his name after scat, “the sound that don’t hold you back”. His jazzy rhyme which introduces the book sets the tone and is an indication of the style of writing Pinkney uses throughout.

The book is historically accurate about the styles of music which were prominent during this period (jazz, bee-bop, swing etc). Also, in “A Note from the Author” at the end of the book, we learn more facts about Ella Fitzgerald’s life. Pinkney relied on the help of research assistance from the Museum of the City of New York, the Carnegie Hall Archives to lend authenticity.

The language and speech patterns used in the story mirrors the types of dialogue used by African American jazz musicians during that period. Phrases like “getting’ loose”,” jammin’”, “grits and gravy” and “slammin’ “. would have been used by musicians of color.

The story is told in four chapters or “tracks” (a music recording term). Each track tells about a different phase of Ella’s life, all the way from Harlem to Carnegie Hall. From the get-go the emphasis is placed on Ella’s talent, but we do get a tiny glimpse of her home life of growing up in Yonkers, in a single parent home.

A strong cultural marker is the support she receives from her African American community when they encourage her to go to New York. We see a slight emphasis on the effects of discrimination but Ella’s story shows the progress that her race was making when she was able to perform in clubs where blacks had never been before. According to Scat Cat “Ella’s popularity showed them that a true star has no color – it just shines.”

The story contains an important ingredient of creating a positive impression of the culture. We see the vast contributions of African Americans to American music, history and culture. African American musicians are compared favorably to popular white groups such as Benny Goodmans’.

Brian Pinkney studied the work of Harlem Renaissance artists from Ella Fitzgerald’s time period for this book which provides authenticity. The pictures were created from scratchboard illustrations which were then tinted with dyes and painted with acrylics. The illustrations are a little cartoonish, almost like a graphic novel, but they work well with the way the story is being told. They show the energy that jazz music provoked.

Children will enjoy the delightful pictures and dialogue while learning about a part of African American history. The book is recommended for ages 5-9.

Review Excerpts:
“The team behind Duke Ellington here showcases the First Lady of Song, in what PW's starred review called "a `skippity-hop-doo-dee-bop' picture book.” (Publisher’s Weekly, 2007)

“Brian Pinkney's distinctive scratchboard-and-acrylic paintings evoke the rhythm of the text and invite readers along on the ride. They will enjoy finding Scat Cat himself on most of the spreads. Bright colors, jazzy words, and energetic artwork bring the music of scat and Fitzgerald to life. A page of biographical information is included. This beautifully rendered tribute to the "Vocal Virtuosa" will be a welcome addition in all libraries.” (School Library Journal, 2002)

Connections: This book could be a part of a unit on art and/or music of the Harlem Renaissance. It could be paired with books about the life of Dizzy Gillispie, Chick Webb, Billie Holiday, Fletcher Henderson and others.

It could also be paired with a book of poems about the Harlem Renaissance. A good example is Entrance Place of Wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance, compiled by Daphne Muse (illustrated by Charlotte Riley Webb).