A Band of Angels [Paperback]

Deborah Hopkinson (Author), Raul Colon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1999

A story inspired by the Jubilee Singers.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439159474
• ISBN-13: 978-0439159470
• ASIN: B00183C5G0
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,951,273 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.