A Band of Angels [Paperback]

Deborah Hopkinson (Author), Raul Colon (Illustrator)

Book Description

A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella's mother she was sold away. Ella was raised in Cincinnati, where she took music lessons. At fifteen, she was left penniless when her father died. She arrived at Fisk School in 1868 with only six dollars.

Fisk was opened in 1866 as a school for former slaves and began offering college classes in 1871. That year, in a desperate attempt to save Fisk from closing, a music teacher named George White set out with a group of students on a singing tour to raise money. Although at first they only sang popular music of the day, they soon became famous for introducing spirituals to the world.

Ella Sheppard was the pianist for the Jubilee Singers on their historic concert tours, which raised enough money to save the school and build Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure in the South for the education of black students. Ella later married George Moore, had three children, and located her mother and a sister. She died in 1914. Today her great-granddaughter is a librarian at Fisk University who shares the history of the Jubilee Singers with visitors.

Although none graduated from Fisk, the original Jubilee Singers were recognized with honorary degrees in 1978. Today, Jubilee Singers at Fisk University continue to keep alive a rich musical tradition that includes such songs as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Many Thousand Gone," and "Go Down, Moses."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review of this story inspired by a groundbreaking African-American chorus founded in 1871, PW wrote, "Scenes of the chorus lost in song voices raised, eyes closed reveal the courage and heart of these trailblazing singers." Ages 5-9.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5?This picture book is both touching and inspirational. The narrative is written from the point of view of the great-great-granddaughter of Ella Sheppard, one of the original Jubilee Singers from the Fisk School in Nashville, TN, the first school for freed slaves. As Aunt Beth tells about the struggles of Ella and the rest of the chorus to raise money to save their school, the girl imagines what her great-great-grandmother might have thought or felt. The singers traveled throughout the North after the Civil War performing popular music. However, it was only when they began to perform the "jubilee" or spiritual songs such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that they gained popularity. Later, they sang for Queen Victoria and President Grant and the funds they raised helped to build Jubilee Hall and establish Fisk University. Hopkinson's poignant prose sets the tone for this glimpse into a little-known bit of black history. Using the device of a family storyteller and a child narrator brings immediacy to the tale and a personal connection to the events. Colon's soft watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are full of gentle greens and browns. The sepia tones add an antique look to the book. This heartwarming presentation is not a historical account, but rather a human look at recorded facts. A fine read-aloud with a good story, uplifting pictures, and fascinating information.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689848870
• ISBN-13: 978-0689848872
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction for young readers. She has won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text twice, for A Band of Angels and Apples to Oregon. Her book, Sky Boys, How They Built the Empire State Building, was a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor awardee. Her recent works include Michelle, First Family, Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, an ALA Notable, Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole, which won a 2009 Oregon Book Award, and Stagecoach Sal, named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009. She serves as Vice President for Advancement at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story of the spirituals people know and love., January 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Band Of Angels A : A Story Inspired By The Jubilee Singers (Hardcover)

I must be one of thousands and thousands of people who can't remember when I first learned songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"--and I had no idea that we owe our knowledge of that song and other spirituals to the Jubilee Singers. The author does a terrific job of making the reader care about Ella (based on Ella Sheppard Moore), who never does get the education she wants so much but who manages to help save both Fisk University AND songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Go Down, Moses." Raul Colon's illustrations are warm and moving. This is a book to give as a present to anyone who loves music (especially spirituals and other traditional songs), not just to kids.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NPR should feature more children's books like this, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Band Of Angels A : A Story Inspired By The Jubilee Singers (Hardcover)

When I heard about this book on NPR I wished there were more places to hear about children's books like this one. It seems as though bookstores often carry only light and fluffy or series books. I love to share historical fiction with my children and love books like A BAND OF ANGELS.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful story!, January 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Band Of Angels A : A Story Inspired By The Jubilee Singers (Hardcover)

It gave me chills, to read Deborah Hopkinson's newest book, A BAND OF ANGELS. Every bit as touching and inspiring as Hopkinson's SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT, this is a true story about a little-known chapter in African-American history. Ella Shepard and the Fisk U. Jubilee Singers' dedication to a cause greater than themselves led them to preserve many of the old spirituals that were on the verge of being forgotten. They took this music into the world, raising money to keep the doors of Fisk open, so others could come behind them and learn. Raul Colon's artwork is full of tenderness and a look of long-ago longing that blends perfectly with the text. A great book for sharing during Black History month, but even better for just any time of year, any time you want to share a story about a strong woman, and human beings who find a way to triumph in the face of adversity.