Cover Image: Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Like other books in this series, it is a fun little introduction to inspiring people. Definitely a great way to introduce kids to biographies and a nice read for adults too. I would recommend all the books in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this book due to a formatting issue.

My review is based on the blurb.

Was this review helpful?

The Little People Big Dreams series are always great, and I'd always happily recommend any and all of them to customers. I'm yet to find one I don't like and they offer a great introduction to some fascinating people for kids (and in some cases adults too!).

Was this review helpful?

This is an excellent series. The people written about in the series aren't your run of the mill children's biography subjects. But they are all intriguing people and make for interesting reading. The illustrations are going to appeal to the kids as well. These books are a good way to broaden their horizons.

Was this review helpful?

I received an e-arc from net for review

I love this series, it's always a joy to read about someone who I may a lot, a bit or nothing at all. The art style is pleasing to look at, these are books would be a great addition to many elementary classrooms.

Was this review helpful?

This was a delightful book for young readers. The illustrations are lovely and charming. My daughters loved it and we highly recommend it

Was this review helpful?

RATING: 4 STARS
2019; Quarto Publishing Group/Frances Lincoln Childrens
(Review Not on Blog)

(General series review) These are fabulous stories about great women and men in history (for the most part). The illustrations are so amazing, both for kids and adults. There is a brief history on the person that explains how this person contributed to history and matters.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

Was this review helpful?

This is another book in the ”My first ____” series, which is for younger readers than the ”Little people. Big dreams” series.
I adore these books, and I love how well the writing and the illustrations go together. Together they tell the story of a famous person’s life, and what they overcame to reach their goals and dreams.
This book tells the story of Ella Fitzgerald.
It perfectly tells to keep on fighting for your dreams and not to give up, even if everything seems to be against you. Ella didn’t have the perfect childhood or all the opportunities handed to her, she had to work hard to achieve what she wanted, and that is perfectly shown in this book.
I received this eBook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

This is another brilliant addition to this series – even as an adult I look out for the next book in the series being released. I love the images in this series and this is a delightful introduction to Ella Fitzgerald, one of the most amazing jazz singers we have had.

These mini books are excellent introductions to some of the well-known, and less well-known, characters that have had a great impact in our lives through a variety of subjects such as literature, women’s rights and music.

Ella was a brilliant artist with a fab story to show how she got to where she was and her story should encourage dreams for all ages, she literally went from singing on the streets of Harlem to singing to millions around the world. 5 stars from me for this one – a delightful read and one I will be highly recommending!!

Was this review helpful?

Ella Fitzgerald is a fascinating character who always knew she wanted to sing professionally. The recently published short and accessible biography, written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Barbara Alca, introduces readers to the work of this remarkable woman from her early experiences struggling to make it in Harlem to her current mythological status as a jazz legend. This is a great book, that introduces young readers to a strong and impactful women!

My only critique is that the series editors identify the target audience as 4 to 8-year-olds. I find this and other books in the series far more appropriate for 2 to 5-year-olds. The stories are a bit to simple for children much older than 5!

This book is one of dozens available as part of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books’ Little People, BIG DREAMS series. Check out their titles and decide which biographies are the best fir for your personal library!

Was this review helpful?

New in the Little People, Big Dreams series, discover the incredible life of Ella Fitzgerald. Ella always wanted to sing, even as a young girl. She constantly seized opportunities as they arose and took risks to be able to sing and entertain. She had a gift many had never heard before and she used it to the best she could. This is a child friendly biography with delightful illustrations. It is a story that shows a young woman striving to achieve her dream. This book could be used to teach young children how to write a biography, show that it is important to have a dream and strive to achieve it. This seems to be a sub-group to the series as it is simpler (for younger children) and is subtitled, "My First Ella Fitzgerald". I am not sure if that is why the section at the back of the book found in others in this series is missing. The end pages with notes, timeline etc. is something that I have come to expect and enjoy, but again, it may be because this is for a younger audience. I recommend this book to all public and school libraries.

Was this review helpful?

I adore this series - such a fantastic way to introduce history and spark further discussion and learning!

Was this review helpful?

Isabel Sanchez Vegara does it again! Another wonderful entry into the Little People, Big Dreams series.

This is the second children's book I've read and reviewed about Ella Fitzgerald's life. This book is fully focused on how Ella knew she wanted to be a singer very early in life and took risks, even as a young girl, to pursue her dreams. She did her best, seized opportunities as they arose, and had a gift the likes of which none had seen before. The illustrations are wonderful - bright, colorful, and lively. And I'm even more interested in her life now than I was before.

The only disappointment for me: at the end of every book in this series to date, there has been a more detailed recap about the subject's life in the back of the book, including photographs. In the digital copy that I received, this final section was lacking, and it's a feature of the series that I have learned to look forward to. It is, of course, entirely possible that it didn't make it into the digital galley version. The next time I'm at the bookstore, I'll be sure to check, and if it's in the print copy, I will gladly revise this review.

Was this review helpful?

Way to simplistic. Little People Big Dreams series, and all this book did was shorten that story, and take away it’s meaning. The best way to put it, is this is a slightly narrative timeline of a great woman's life. Get the real book, leave the board book at the store.

Was this review helpful?

I love this series by Isabel Sanchez and the Ella Fitzgerald book was no exception. Loving Ella as a musician, I was excited to learn more about her and share the information with students. This will be an amazing book for Black History and Women's History month. Excited to add it to my class.

Was this review helpful?

For this book: Ella: The words are sweet and put a smile on my face; and the illustrations have these little details that if you look, add a lot to the story. So go ahead and have fun playing ‘I Spy’ games, discuss the stories the pictures tell you, and simply enjoy the story and the illustrations! The book, while short, seamlessly introduces us to Ella and tells a lot of her life, while also including fun facts about her. All this is done in 12 pages – astounding indeed!

In Summary: for a few of the LPBD books featured together on my blog post at LadyInReadWrites
These books are adorable, admirable, and works of art all rolled together with a dose of inspiration for the youngest audiences! Buy the whole set for that little one you know 🙂

I know I am going use these as gifts in the future. And work on reading the others in the series as well soon.

Rating: A; and the board books are for up to 5 years of age while the picture books are for 5 to 8 year olds.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books) for the eARCs of the above books All reviews include my honest opinions of the books.

Was this review helpful?

“Ella never sang a song the same way twice.”
According to this, Ella ran away from home when she was really young, because she didn’t like her strict school. I guess it’s not important to the story, but I would have liked to see how a little girl managed, not so much money-wise, as we see her singing on the street for tips, but how she procured the place where she’s seen sleeping, etc.
I’ve read a lot of these little books, and I have to say they’re getting worse. Even though they’re meant to be read by kids, they should still have a more logical structure. It feels like a lot of random facts are tossed in without continuity.

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful book that I read just in time for International Women's Day. A gorgeously illustrated telling of the story of the queen of jazz.

Was this review helpful?

Celebratory~ Enjoyable ~ Appealing

tl;dr: Good music makes people feel good.

This age-appropriate book about Ella Fitzgerald is very well done. The author is different than many of the other ones I have read in the series, but just as good. The illustrations are very well done, with the framing and layout giving a sort of punchy, fast-paced feel. This is the type of book a parent wouldn't mind reading and rereading. I bet it would be great to read with music in the background.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This well illustrated board book is part of the My First series of the Little People, Big Dreams books. In this one, the youngest children can learn about Ella Fitzgerald. The reader will see that singing was what Ella had to do and will learn about her evolution as a songstress. The concept of the series, that you can dream and achieve your dream comes through. Another welcome addition to one of my favorite series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Was this review helpful?