When Marian Sang

When Marian Sang

By Pam Munoz Ryan

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Scholastic, 2002

The story of Marian Anderson, the first African-American concert opera singer, is told in this beautifully illustrated picture book.  She had early success singing in churches, but when she applied to music school, she was told that people of her color were not accepted.  Instead, she trained with Guiseppe Boghetti who then prompted her to tour the European continent where she moved people to tears by her singing. When she returned to America, however, she was not welcome in some of the most famous concert halls because of their segregation policies.  The conflict with scheduling Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall in 1939 led to the famous open-air production on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  

Although this picture book is assigned a 2-5 grade level, I can see it being used for an older audience as an introduction or as part of a collection about the time period and famous African-American musicians.  The illustrations by Selznick offer much to consider about symbolism and perspective.