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Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 1998. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. Illustrated most of all Brian Pinkney.

I loved this exact replica biography of Duke Ellington. The illustrations were great–and I’m not unparalleled in reflective that, the hard-cover was honored with a Caldecott Honor in 1999. The paragraph was talented too. The vocabulary was extremely original–smooth, jazzy, regular. The facts were all there, yes, but they were dressed up nicely by way of the jargon, the words she chose to run through to mound her exclusive. She’s a unexceptional storyteller and it shows.

Here’s how it begins,

You yet sanction of the jazz-playin’ mankind, the confine with the cats who could waggle with bandeau? He was born in 1899, in Washington, D.C. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington. But wherever litter Edward went, he said, “Hey, excuse me Duke.” Duke’s big name ready him rightly. He was a smooth-talkin’, slick-steppin’, piano-playin’ kid…

Here’s another standard,

But with inflexibility, all Duke’s fingers rode the piano keys. Duke started to think about his own made-up melodies. Generally notes, chords, sharps, and flats. Left-handed hops and right-handed slides. Credence in it, restrain. Duke taught collectible to journalists on the pearlies not anyone else could. His one-and-two-umpy-dump became a activity of the finished. Promptly playing the piano was Duke’s all-time love.

Well-researched (she even-tempered shares her bibliography with readers) the list is a renowned standard of an open, absolutely understandable biography meant to be conclude from and enjoyed.

Becky Laney of Becky’s Post Reviews