This 37-page biography showcases Ella Fitzgerald’s musical prowess and resolve, moving from the adversities of a difficult childhood to the talent show that propelled her to stardom.

As a young girl Ella sang along with records with her mother, and she danced on street corners in Yonkers with a young friend, Charlie. To anyone who would listen, she told them she’d be famous one day. When Ella was 14, her mother’s death sent her into a tailspin. “Just like that, wham shabam, Ella lost everyone and everything she loved: first her mother, then her home, her school, Charlie and her friends, and her dancing jobs.” She lived with a guarded aunt, at a reform school, and ultimately on the streets of Harlem. But throughout, she continued dancing, singing, and aspiring. Her outstanding performance at the Harlem Opera House talent show led to a collaboration with the Chick Webb band and her number one single, A-Tisket, A-Tasket when she was 21. The final page depicts Ella onstage in elegant attire and closes with the words: “So long, Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat. It’s Rowdy-Dowdy High-Hat Baby now.”

Roxanne Orgill portrays events in Ella Fitzgerald’s life without adopting either a pitying or didactic tone. The straightforward language is interlaced with scat phrases, which makes the book a good read aloud despite its small size. Sean Qualls employs his signature mix of black-and-white line drawing and full color painting in the illustrations. Depicting Ella sometimes in the foreground and at other times in the background conveys her alternating sense of confidence and alienation in facing different events. I imagine this book is most appealing to a child who is familiar with Ella Fitzgerald’s singing. But there are extensive resources for further reading, listening, and viewing in the back pages for people who are just now discovering Ella Fitzgerald’s fame.

The Candlewick biography series is popular with my fourth graders. The short biographies are written in a narrative rather than informational style and they are enhanced with full color illustrations. In the words of the publisher: “Candlewick biographies are true stories of remarkable people, written and illustrated in full color for young readers. Each book illuminates a turning point or defining moment in the life of a notable individual in the arts, sciences, or history.”