When Marian Sang: True Recital of Marian Anderson, The

Rating:
Summary: The inspiring story of Marian Anderson, Voice of the Century
Review: "When Marian Sang" not only tells the story of the day in 1939 when Marian Anderson sang on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but puts that symbolic moment in American history in the context of her entire life and musical career. The moment was historic because one of the premier signers in the world, applauded in the grandest theaters of Europe, was not allowed to sing in Washington, D.C.'s Constitutional Hall, which was run by the Daughters fo the American Revolution because she was an African American. As told by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick, "When Marian Sang" is about more than the memorable concert at the Lincoln Memorial. That was a glorious aria in Anderson's career, but it was not her ultimate goal.

The conceit of this beautiful book is that it is a musical performance, with Ryan providing the Libertto and Selznick the staging. This actually works, because Ryan tries to provide a lyricism to the story, working in verses from the songs Marian Anderson sang, to reflect her spirituality and culture; she might have been a symbol of equal rights, but we are also talking about one of the class acts of 20th century America. The exquisite artwork by Caldecott Honor Medalist Selznick is done with Liquitex Acrylics in lush Sepia tones. I especially liked the early sequences where Marian has the same beatific expression on her angelic face as she sings for three consecutive paintings, the wall of pictures behind Anderson as she sings for Giusepe Boghetti, and strategic infusion of bright colors into the final painting of her ultimate triumph. More importantly, I like where Ryan and Selznick end her story, 16 years after that first appearance at the Lincoln Memorial. Young readers might never have heard of Marian Anderson, but after reading "When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson," they will never forget her story.

The back of the volume includes "Encore" information about the author and artist and "Ovations" that provide addition information about Anderson's life and career, including the other times she performed at the Lincoln Memorial and Constitution Hall, along with a Selected Discography. If reading the inspiring story of Marian Anderson does not compel you to go and find an album or video of her in performance, then you are missing out on a true appreciation of the woman, her music, and her place in history. Just listen to Marian Anderson singing "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" and all shall be revealed to you.

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Summary: Singing for the Soul
Review: A little black girl named Marian Anderson loved to sing . She would sing to her baby doll everyday. Every Sunday she would go to church and sing with her sister. She and her family were very proud. She grew into her teens and still loved to sing. People say when Marian sang she would sing with her eyes closed ,as finding the music within. As marian sang her heart filled with tragedy and sometimes her songs.
Marian was a full grown adult and Marians parents past away She was sad but still sang.

She went to a music school and she patiently in line for an application. The girl behind the counter helped everyone else but Marian. The lady didn't let her have an application because she was colored. She grew older and married a fine man who respected her singing. She went to a master singer and he loved her singing so she sang and sang till the end of her days.

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Summary: Great biography for children! by Kristin
Review: The dynamic duo that brought us Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride are back with an amazing new picture book biography of the great contralto, Marian Anderson. From her humble beginnings in South Philadelphia, to her great success in Europe, "Marian Fever," and the famous 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, to her momentous debut, at the age of 57, with the Metropolitan Opera, Pam Munoz Ryan highlights Marian's long and remarkable career, and paints a vivid and riveting portrait of her struggle with the humiliation of racism and prejudice in America. "...When she arrived at her destination, she often sang the same program twice, to separate audiences - one white and one black - or to segregated groups, whites in the best seats and blacks in the balcony. Many times, she was welcomed enthusiastically by her audiences, and then could not get a hotel room because she was Negro." Her great dignity and courage was an inspiration to all, and she worked hard to make life better for future African American performers. "...Marian sang for kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, famous composers and conductors. She received medals, awards, and honorary degrees for her magnificent voice. But there was still one place Marian had not sung..." Ms Munoz Ryan's eloquent text is both poignant and uplifting, and complemented by Brian Selznick's powerfully evocative and emotional artwork in warm, old photograph-like sepia tones. Together, word and art captures the life and times of Marian Anderson, and brings them to life on the page. With an author's and illustrator's note at the end to further illuminate and enlighten, When Marian Sang is perfect for youngsters 7 and older, and is a stunning masterpiece that shouldn't be missed. "On opening night excitement charged the air. As Marian waited in the wings, the orchestra began. Her stomach fluttered. She walked onto the grand stage. Trembling, she straightened her costume and waited for the pounding music she knew to be her cue. Tonight was her debut with the Metropolitan Opera. At long last, she had reached the sun and the moon. The curtains parted... and Marian sang."

Rating:
Summary: Singing for the Soul
Review: This book is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have ever read for my class. It teaches people, both young and old, a little piece of our American history including the Great Depression and segregation. With it, the tandum of Ryan and Selznick provide a general overview of history realia. Overall, this piece is a great resources to read for all people.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book
Review: This book is undoubtedly one of the best books that I have ever read for my class. It teaches people, both young and old, a little piece of our American history including the Great Depression and segregation. With it, the tandum of Ryan and Selznick provide a general overview of history realia. Overall, this piece is a great resources to read for all people.

Rating:
Summary: Singing for the Soul
Review: WHEN MARIAN SANG beautifully depicts the life of Marian Anderson, a wonderful singer who broke racial barriers to become one of the most world-renowned performers. The story tells of her humble upbringing in Philadelphia and the support she garnered from her family, her church, and her community. It also tells of the discrimination that Marian faced when trying to learn music and later when she attempted to perform. Yet, Marian persevered. She went to Europe where she received so much attention and acclaim that it was said the people suffered from "Marian Fever." She later returned to the United States, and fought prejudices and discrimination by performing at the Lincoln Memorial. She was finally able to break down racial barriers and perform at the Metropolitan Opera. At last, Marian felt free to sing.

WHEN MARIAN SANG is an inspirational and educational biography of a great performer. The book gives details in a poignant, yet simplistic way that people of all ages will be able to appreciate. The illustrations are truly breathtaking. I enjoyed the fact that verses of songs that Marian sang were intertwined within the text to add depth to the story. I was also impressed with the detailed information about Marian's life and the fact that her discography was included in the back of the book. Pam Munoz Ryan and Brian Selznick have done an excellent job in telling the story of Marian Anderson. I look forward to future works from this dynamic duo.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites for my own classroom!
Review: When this book first came out, I was ecstatic that someone took the time to make the life of Marian Anderson accessible to children. Too often classical singers of the Civil Rights era are overlooked and forgotten. The combination of the gorgeous illustrations and lovely text make this book exceptional. Although not the easiest book for children to read on their own, as a read-aloud in a classroom setting, it can make an incredible impact. It is an excellent book to incite discussion on many subjects and it truly inspires children to pursue their dreams despite the troubles they may face.
The timeless lyrics interwoven within the story comment wonderfully on Marian's life and the perseverance with which she dealt with her struggles. The beauty of this book is that it focuses on the accomplishments of her life and the overcoming of disappointments, not the actual disappointments themselves. This lack of sensationalism gives the book dignity. This is definitely one book that I will treasure and hope to share many times over with students in my own classroom.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites for my own classroom!
Review: When this book first came out, I was ecstatic that someone took the time to make the life of Marian Anderson accessible to children. Too often classical singers of the Civil Rights era are overlooked and forgotten. The combination of the gorgeous illustrations and lovely text make this book exceptional. Although not the easiest book for children to read on their own, as a read-aloud in a classroom setting, it can make an incredible impact. It is an excellent book to incite discussion on many subjects and it truly inspires children to pursue their dreams despite the troubles they may face.
The timeless lyrics interwoven within the story comment wonderfully on Marian's life and the perseverance with which she dealt with her struggles. The beauty of this book is that it focuses on the accomplishments of her life and the overcoming of disappointments, not the actual disappointments themselves. This lack of sensationalism gives the book dignity. This is definitely one book that I will treasure and hope to share many times over with students in my own classroom.

Rating:
Summary: Good drawings, very poor text
Review: While the artwork illustrating this book is beautiful, the text is sorely lacking, being at the same time both too complex and too narrow, besides being confined by the device of using song lyrics to illustrate Anderson's life and feelings.
The text is overly long, and some concepts in the book are more complicated than needed, such as specifying that "the Department of Interior of the United States invited Marian" and "teachers ... marched ... in front of the Board of Education" to an age group which is grappling with the concept that our country is the United States of America. The report of the actual concert at the Memorial is short. There's no discussion of how the concert, the controversy surrounding it, and Anderson herself may have influenced the country's views on civil rights. The author uses the word "Negro" to refer to Anderson's race; that term was appropriate in 1939, but not now.
The afterword by the illustrator is just silly, since he spends much of his time telling us how his uncle knew both Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson, until he gets to the end of his afterword and says, paraphrased, "just kidding -- my uncle made it up!" The illustrator continues this joke at our expense by making his absent, lying uncle a primary character in the drawing of the audience at the Lincoln Memorial.
The afterword ("Encore") by the author is helpful, as are the suggestions for further reading and viewing.
The theme of Ryan's book is that Anderson fulfills her girlhood dream of singing at the Met, and is the first African American to do so. Everything else is essentially an incident along that road. There's more to Anderson's life than that.
The main flaw of this book is that the text uses too-complex terms to convey a story which is paradoxically too simple. It leaves out important parts of Anderson's life, such as her first "flopped" concert in New York, and her life after the Met. There are other books which provide more reality, and/or a more child-oriented text (such as Patricia and Fredrick McKissack's _Marian Anderson: A Great Singer_). Click on "see more about me" above for a review of and link to McKissack's book.