Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her - Hardcover

Novesky, Amy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152058060 ISBN 13: 9780152058067

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2013

Synopsis

Billie Holiday—also known as Lady Day—had fame, style, a stellar voice, big gardenias in her hair, and lots of dogs. She had a coat-pocket poodle, a beagle, Chihuahuas, a Great Dane, and more, but her favorite was a boxer named Mister. Mister was always there to bolster her courage through good times and bad, even before her legendary appearance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Newton’s stylish illustrations keep the simply told story focused on the loving bond between Billie Holiday and her treasured boxer. An author’s note deals more directly with the singer’s troubled life, and includes a little-known photo of Mister and Lady Day!

About this title

About the Author:

Amy Novesky has written several well-received picture books including Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased, illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Ms. Novesky lives with her family in Sausalito, California. Visit her online at www.amynovesky.com.

Vanessa Brantley Newton is the author-illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and the illustrator of One Love by Cedella Marley.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 2-5-This introduction to the jazz great has tons of kid appeal. Capitalizing on her indulgent devotion to her pet dogs, Lady Day is presented with lighthearted whimsy: a little white poodle in her coat pocket; two bottle-fed Chihuahuas; and her beloved boxer, Mister, sporting a mink coat and waiting in the wings at every performance, to name a few. From the little girl who loved to sing along to her favorite recordings to the grown woman who became a star, Holiday will capture the imagination of young music lovers. Even the lowest times of her life are presented in terms of her pups: "...just when her career was at the top, Lady got into trouble. She had to leave home for a year and a day. And Mister couldn't come. Lady knew what it was like to be left, and it made her heartsick." Older children who read the appended biographical note learn that these simple lines refer to Holiday's abandonment as a child and to the drug addiction that would take her life. The generously sized gouache-and-charcoal illustrations capture the glamour and humor of this singer and dog-lover's experiences. Bright colors, full spreads, and collage combine to paint a larger-than-life portrait. Pair this title with Sue Stauffacher's Bessie Smith and the Night Riders (Putnam, 2006) for units on black or women's history or an introduction to jazz and blues.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schoolsα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0152058060
• ISBN 13: 9780152058067
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Brantley Newton Vanessa