The Orphan Singer. This item is unavailable.The Orphan Singer

Determined that their daughter Nina realize her musical destiny, her poor but devoted parents send her away as a baby to the Venetian "ospedale," knowing she will be raised as an orphan and will never again be allowed to return home.

K-Gr 2-The Dolcis sadly recognize that they are too poor to nurture baby Nina's superb vocal talent so they make the ultimate sacrifice-they leave her at the ospedalo (a choral school for orphans). Renamed Catarina, the girl fulfills all expectations with her magnificent voice but her exuberant pranks present a disciplinary challenge. As she grows and learns, the entire family makes regular, anonymous visits. In the midst of her stellar rise to fame, however, her brother falls gravely ill and young Catarina must make her own ultimate sacrifice and risk her future career to preserve the family she has come to adore. She slips away to the Dolcis' home in the dark of night and her voice does, indeed, save Antonio. Best of all, her deed is perceived as good and brave and the Dolcis share a joyful and musical future together. Lyrical watercolor-and-tempera illustrations with marbleized borders perfectly capture the dark, somber moments of abandonment and desperate flight as well as the clarity and light of the school. The pastels of 18th-century Venice stand in sharp contrast to the bright-red school uniforms, and the golden hair of the Dolci family is a visual reminder of their special bond. Fascinating details abound. The text reveals the daily routine of the ospedalo and includes musical terms; the masked nobility, street urchins, and evocative architectural features in the illustrations add dimension and authenticity. An appended author's note describes the ospedalo's role in musical history. Brava, Catarina!-Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

McCully (Beautiful Warrior) hits plenty of high notes with her latest history-inspired picture book, the dramatic tale of a talented young vocalist in 18th-century Venice. Even as an infant, Nina Dolci already seems to possess the same gift for music as her angelic-voiced older brother, Antonio. However, while the Dolcis long to provide music and singing lessons for their children, they cannot afford such luxuries in their extreme poverty. They determine that the best thing they can do for their daughter is to leave her anonymously at the ospedalo, an orphanage where foundling girls receive fine musical training. The pain of the Dolcis' sacrifice eases somewhat as they eventually attend concerts performed by the ospedalo's chorus and befriend their growing daughter, never informing her of their bond. But when Nina's voice proves the one elixir that helps Antonio recover from a serious illness, she shares a closeness with the Dolcis that she knows can come only from family. McCully's swift-moving text and signature compositions, a textured blend of watercolor and tempera, awaken the sights and sounds of Venice's canals, alleyways, drawing rooms and opera houses. Young Nina's sweet face, framed by golden curls and raised in song, will stay with readers long after this book is closed. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-8. With a lush operatic story set in eighteenth-century Venice, McCully turns the foundling tale around and makes a gifted child her family's savior. The musical Dolci family love their new baby, Catarina. They are thrilled when she sings like an angel, but because they are desperately poor and can't afford to train her as a singer, they leave her at an orphan home that's famous for its choral school. Then they watch through the window as she practices and performs and becomes a star. As rebellious and brave as all McCully's young girls, Catarina finally breaks the rules to save the family she loves. The full-page paintings in bright watercolor and tempera are as idyllic and theatrical as the story, pulsing with excitement as the angelic-looking child sings for the Maestro Vivaldi and for the crowds listening in the street. The light-filled views of Venice are both realistic and dreamy, especially in the climactic double-page spread of a starry night, when Catarina rushes off in a gondola to find her family. Hazel Rochman
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