Todd, Traci N. Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children’s Music. Eleanor Davis, Illus. Chronicle, 01/2025. [52]pp. Biography. Trade $19.99. 978-1-4521-7064-0. GRADES Kindergarten–3. OUTSTANDING.
Ella Jenkins, the noted musician and recording artist for children who died at age 100 in November 2024, is celebrated in this charming picture book biography. Jenkins used her talent to spread folk music to children with over sixty recorded albums, often reflecting her African American culture. She lived for several years in the San Francisco area, and graduated from San Francisco State College. The bouncy narrative doesn’t rhyme but has a lively rhythm that fits the subject matter. The boldly colored folk art-inspired illustrations depict Jenkins as a proud Black woman among a sea of diverse children, including a memorable spread near the end featuring gatefold pages. There is a timeline on the endpapers, an author’s note with further details on her life, and a bibliography. This is as notable as the author’s previous award-winning biographies, Nina: A Story of Nina Simone (2021) and Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes (2023).
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool