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Duke Ellington

The Piano Prince and His Orchestra (Caldecott Honor Book)

Duke Ellington Open the full-size image

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Contributors

By Andrea Pinkney

Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jan 1, 2007
Page Count
32 pages
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13
9780786814206
Age Range
6–8

Price

$9.99

Price

$12.99 CAD

Format

Picture Book

Format:

Picture Book $9.99 $12.99 CAD

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A joyful biography of jazz pioneer Duke Ellington, recognized with a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award Honor, brought to life by a bestselling husband and wife duo.

Born in 1899, Duke Ellington was the forerunner in the evolution of jazz. By the time he was nineteen he was playing at parties, pool halls, and cabarets; and then, in 1927, he entertained at the hottest place around, The Cotton Club in Harlem. But the defining moment of his career came when Duke and his orchestra gave a groundbreaking performance at Carnegie Hall, when they first performed his suite Black, Brown, and Beige, a tribute to the history of African American people. To this day, Duke, the “King of the Keys,” is beloved by jazz fans old and new.

This is a stunning introduction to Duke Ellington—a legend who continues to live on and influence musicians everywhere. 

Don’t miss the other Great Black Performers biographies:
Alvin Ailey
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa

 

Genre:

  • Children's Books
  • |
  • Juvenile Fiction Biographical United States United States

Series:

  • Great Black Performers

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award.

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals.

The Pinkneys have been named among the "25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives" by Children's Health magazine. They live in Brooklyn, New York.

  • “This book swings. Don’t miss it.”
    School Library Journal
  • “A cool and vibrant tour of Duke Ellington’s musical career . . . this loving tribute temptingly evokes the sound and spirit of a jazz pioneer.”
    Kirkus
  • "The joy in Ellington's music, and the joy his musicians felt in playing it, is apparent on every page."
    Booklist
  • "The husband-and-wife team captures the spirit of an individual, an era and a musical style."
    Publishers Weekly

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Andrea Pinkney

About the Author

Andrea Davis Pinkney has written several acclaimed books for middle grade readers, including the novels Bird in a Box, a Today Show Al Roker Book Club pick, and With the Might of Angels, a book in the Dear America series. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor winner. Andrea’s many picture books include Sit In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, a New York Times best-seller and a Jane Addams Honor Book, which was illustrated by her husband, Brian Pinkney. She and her family live in Brooklyn, New York.

Brian Pinkney (www.brianpinkney.net) has frequently collaborated with his wife, Andrea Davis Pinkney. Some of their other books include, Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride, Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation, and Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, for which Brian was awarded a Caldecott Honor. Brian was also a Caldecott Honoree for The Faithful Friend by Robert D. San Souci , and he won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for In the Time of the Drums by Kim L.Siegelson.

Learn more about this author

Brian Pinkney

About the Illustrator

Brian Pinkney has illustrated numerous books for children, including two Caldecott Honor books, and he has written and illustrated several of his own books. Brian has received the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Illustration and three Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor medals.

Learn more about this illustrator

Great Black Performers

Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey
▲
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