Ella Queen of Jazz

Product Description Ella Fitzgerald sang the blues and she sang them good. Ella and her fellas were on the way up! It seemed like nothing could stop her, until the biggest club in town refused to let her play… and all because of her colour. But when all hope seemed lost, little did Ella imagine that a Hollywood star would step in to help. This is the incredible true story of how a remarkable friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe was born – and how they worked together to overcome prejudice and adversity.  An inspiring story, strikingly illustrated, about the unlikely friendship between two celebrated female icons of America’s golden age. From School Library Journal K-Gr 2—This bold picture book chronicles Ella Fitzgerald's early rise to stardom and centers on her friendship with Marilyn Monroe. The value of camaraderie and the determination of these two women are the running themes in this narrative. Hancocks explores how their relationship was beneficial for both parties; Monroe opening doors for Fitzgerald to sing at clubs, and Fitzgerald training Monroe to sing in movies. The gouache illustrations are bright with patterns that evoke the stylized advertising posters of the 1950s. Language reminiscent of the period ("the biggest joint in town") is peppered throughout, though it is often exceedingly vague ("some folks didn't want her singing in their club"). A biographical summary of Fitzgerald's and Monroe's lives is presented at the end of the book with a photograph of them together. VERDICT Part biography, part exaltation of the power of friendship, this title should do well in most collections.—Jessica Cline, New York Public Library Review Ella Queen of Jazz is a captivating tale of music, friendship and courage.― Daily Express 'This is wonderful … steeped in the glitz and glamour of 1950s Hollywood, the power of female friendship overcomes prejudice.'― Fiona Noble, The Bookseller 'Hancock’s language sings with the cadence of African American idioms, and the vivid colour palette and varied typographical styles help to make each nightclub set look different. The story, meanwhile, reaches beyond feminist empowerment to illuminate a broader appeal to equality, and the final page emphasises the importance of friendship: a refreshingly achievable ideal.'― Sara Keating, Irish Times "Splashy graphics do a fine job of evoking 1950s glamour,.... the book is... a warm portrait of two famous women helping each other out."― Publishers Weekly "The true story of Fitzgerald's friendship with Marilyn Monroe, and how the pair worked together."― People Magazine About the Author HELEN HANCOCKS is the best-selling author/illustrator of three picture books to date: William and the Missing Masterpiece, William Heads to Hollywood, and Penguin in Peril. She lives and works in the UK.