Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Candlewick Biographies: Ella Fitzgerald

(Paperback)

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A swinging bio of young Ella Fitzgerald, who pushed through the toughest of times to become one of Americas most beloved jazz singers.

When Ella Fitzgerald danced the Lindy Hop on the streets of 1930s Yonkers, passersby said good-bye to their loose change. But for a girl who was orphaned and hungry, with raggedy clothes and often no place to spend the night, small change was not enough. One amateur night at Harlems Apollo Theater, Ella made a discovery: the dancing beat in her feet could travel up and out of her mouth in a powerful song and the feeling of being listened to was like a salve to her heart. With lively prose, Roxane Orgill follows the gutsy Ella from school-girl days to a featured spot with Chick Webbs band and all the way to her number-one radio hit "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Jazzy mixed-media art by illustrator Sean Qualls brings the singers indomitable spirit to life.
Back matter includes resources for further information, and an index.

Author Bio

Roxane Orgillis an award-winning writer on music and the author of several biographies for young readers, includingMahalia: A Life in Gospel MusicandFootwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire. She is also the author ofDream Lucky, a book for adults about big-band jazz, race, and politics in the 1930s. She lives in New York City.

Sean Quallsis the illustrator of many books for children, includingDizzy;Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane;The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Monzano; andPhillis's Big Test. He lives in Brooklyn.