Synopses & Reviews
What if you loved music more than anything? Suppose you had just learned to play the piano. Imagine that your family has to move to a new city and you have to leave your piano behind.and#160;People donandrsquo;t like you in the new cityand#160;because ofand#160; what you look like. How will you make yourself feel better? Mary Lou Williams, like Mozart, began playing theand#160;piano when she was four; at eight she became a professional musician.and#160;She wrote and arranged music for Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and was one of the most powerful women inand#160;jazz. This is the story of Mary Lou's childhood in Pittsburgh, where she played the piano for anyone who would listen.
Review
andquot;Acknowledging Mary's long, worldwide career as an elegant, accomplished performer andquot;in beautiful shoes,andquot; this sweet tribute neatly fills a niche in the panoply of titles about jazz greats.andquot;andmdash;Kirkus
andquot;Potter's naive, doll-like figures, poised in their slightly tipsy, extravagantly patterned domestic settings, recall the mannered portraiture of the colonial period. With a steadily growing collection of picture books on jazz greats now available for the storytime set, it's nice to see a strong female musician take her place on the shelves.andquot;andmdash;Bulletin
Review
“This warm, inviting interpretation offers a new slant on the familiar story, interesting to all but especially irresistible to cat lovers.”—Kirkus (starred review)
Synopsis
A cozy Nativity story for those who love Christmas and cats.
All babies are beautiful and all babies cry. Jesus was no exception. On the night he was born, nothing Mary, Joseph, or the animals in the stable could do would comfort him. But when a curious kitten wanted its turn to calm the baby Jesus, a loving friendship blossomed on that very first Christmas.
This perfect read-aloud was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of La Madonna del Gatto, which show Mary lovingly holding the baby Jesus who is cuddling a cat.
About the Author
Maryann Macdonald grew up near Detroit with seven brothers and sisters. She lived for many years in Europe, but has now settled in New York City. One day, while exploring the Metropolitan Museum there, she discovered the Leonardo da Vinci drawing that inspired her to write
The Christmas Cat. She has written numerous books for children.
Amy June Bates grew up in Utah and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in illustration. She has illustrated over forty books for children and has been honored by the Society of Illustrators for her work. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children.