Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (Caldecott Honor Book): 2 (Great Black Performers, 2)

Great facts, great illustration, written in a very fun, appealing and authentic style.

I read this in my 4th grade music class and they loved it. Students learned a lot about Duke Ellington, and I liked the way the story was written in a rhythmic way that portrayed how Duke Ellington would have spoken in his day

I hope to collect every book like this that comes out on Jazz artists to help teach my young students.

The music of Duke Ellington--pianist, composer, band-leader--is a uniquely American treasure. He kept a big band together for half a century and wrote music that will never get old, such as "Mood Indigo." He also thrived as a musician against the odds of racism. In this, he can inspire the youth for whom this little book was written. But if you go deeper and study his life, you find a flawed man: a serial adulterer, a man who took credit for music he did not write, and a phony who projected an image of sophistication he did not truly possess. Terry Teachout's book on Ellington makes this all-too-clear. However, the story of this celebrated musician is fascinating, not least of which are his "sacred concerts" from the last years of his life.

This was informative, well written, and well illustrated. It was perfect to assist my kindergarten age son with his report for school.