Write On, Irving Berlin

Sleeping Bear Press

(pub. 5.15.2018)

32 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Leslie Kimmelman
    and illustrator: David C.     Gardner

C haracter: Irving Berlin

O verview from the jacket flap: 
      "Escaping persecution for being Jewish, the Baline family flee Russia and arrive by ship in New York Harbor in September 1893. Little Israel Isidore Baline is only five years old. After arriving at Ellis Island, the first stop for all immigrants, Israel and his family are ready to begin a new life in America.
     His family settle on the Lower East Side and soon Israel (now nicknamed Izzy) starts school. And while he learns English, he is not a very good student. According to his teachers, he daydreams and sings in class. But while these may not be traits that are helpful in the classroom they are wonderful tools for a budding singer and composer. And by the time Izzy (now known as Irving) is a young man, he is well on his way to becoming one of the most well-known composers in America
     This vivid picture book biography examines the life of Irving Berlin, the distinguished artist whose songs, including 'God Bless America' and 'White Christmas,' continue to be popular today."

T antalizing taste:        
     "Nothing stopped Irving from writing.

     Not World War II.
     As the United States edged closer to war again, he took out and polished up a song he'd written long ago, bout the land that he loved. 'God Bless America' became a HUGE hit.
     Some people were angry that someone Jewish, who hadn't even been born in America, had written it. Irving didn't care. He gave all the money he made form 'God Bless America' to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. It was his way of saying thank you to the country that had given him sch a good life."

    

and something more:  I was surprised to learn about Irving Berlin's lack of musical training. Leslie Kimmelman's Author's Note explains that "Berlin had no special musical training. He couldn't read or write music or play the piano very well. He played only on black keys, which he found easier. That meant he wrote all his music in the key of F-sharp, which had only two white piano keys. Later, Berlin got a special piano that could transpose his music to other keys. Once, early in his career, he took music lessons, but after two days he decided that formal lessons might 'ruin' his talent.
     Berlin was well-known for staying up all night to compose. He was also famous for how much and how quickly he wrote. For his last hit show, Annie Get Your Gun, he wrote the song 'Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)' in fifteen minutes - in a cab."