Saving the Countryside

The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit

Little Bee Books

(pub. 1.28.2020) 

40 pages

A True Tale with

A Cherry On Top   

A uthor: Linda Elovitz Marshall
       and illustrator: Ilaria Urbinati

C haracter:  Beatrix Potter

O verview:

 

"Growing up in London, Beatrix Potter felt the restraints of Victorian times. Girls didn't go to school and weren't expected to work. But she longed to do something important, something that truly mattered. As Beatrix spent her summers in the country and found inspiration in nature, it was through this passion that her creativity flourished. 

There, she crafted The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She would eventually move to the countryside full-time, but developers sought to change the land. To save it, Beatrix used the money from the success of her books and bought acres and acres of land and farms to prevent the development of the countryside that both she and Peter Rabbit so cherished. Because of her efforts, it's been preserved just as she left it.

This beautiful picture book shines a light on Beatrix Potter's lesser-known history and her desire to do something for the greater good."

T antalizing taste: 
 

"The Tale of Peter Rabbit was of no interest to most publishers. One publisher considered it, but he took such a long time and Beatrix could not keep waiting.

So, using money she'd earned from drawing Benjamin Bouncer on holiday cards, Beatrix had 250 copies of the Tale of Peter Rabbit printed.

She put the books up for sale. Every copy sold.

She order more copies. They sold, too!

The Tale of Peter Rabbit was such a success that, at last, the publisher made her an offer. Beatrix Potter struck a deal!

Beatrix made sure that her beautiful little books would not cost too much.  She wanted everyone to be able to buy them."

And something more:  The Author's Note explains Linda Elovitz Marshall's inspiration for writing the book: "In 2018, I participated in a 'literary ramble,' visiting England with a group of children's authors and illustrators.... On arrival in Near Sawrey, in the Lake District where Beatrix Potter had lived, my heart did a flip-flop! It was March, a rather dreary time of the  year, yet the countryside - the hills, lakes, and farms - sang to me. How could it be that, after so many years, the area looked exactly as it did in Beatrix Potter's little books? ...The mystery was solved! The Lake District looked undeveloped and peaceful because of Beatrix Potter. She helped save the area from trains running through it, from farms being split into housing developments, and from the myriad intrusions of the developments of city life....She bought more than four thousand acres of land and donated it all to the National Trust, the United Kingdom organization that preserves places of historical or natural interest. What a woman!"

Making Their Voices Heard

The Inspiring Friendship
Ella Fitzgerald and
Marilyn Monroe

little bee books
(pub. 1.28.2020) 
4o pages

A True Tale with

A Cherry On Top   

A uthor: Vivian Kirkfield
       and illustrator:  Alleanna Harris

 
C haracters: Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe

O verview: 
     

     "Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. On the outside, you couldn’t find two girls who looked more different. But on the inside, they were alike – full of hopes and dreams and plans of what might be.

     Ella Fitzgerald’s velvety tones and shube-doobie-doos captivated audiences. Jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington couldn’t wait to share the stage with her, but still, Ella could not book a performance at one of the biggest clubs in town–one she knew would give her career its biggest break yet.

      Marilyn Monroe dazzled on the silver screen with her baby blue eyes and breathy boo-boo-be-doos. But when she asked for better scripts, a choice in who she worked with, and a higher salary, studio bosses refused.

      Two women whose voices weren’t being heard. Two women chasing after their dreams and each helping the other to achieve them. This is the inspiring, true story of two incredibly talented women who came together to help each other shine like the stars that they are."

T antalizing taste: 
     "Ella was already famous for her voice. But, because of discrimination, not everyone was able to hear it. She told Marilyn that the owner of Hollywood's top nightspot, the Mocambo, refused to hire her.
     Marilyn empathized with Ella. Although she didn't know what it was like to be singled out because of her race, she did know how it felt to be held back because she was a woman. As Ella helped Marilyn find her voice, now Marilyn wanted to do the same for her."

And something more: Vivian Kirkfield's Author's Note explains that both Ella and Marilyn "had difficult childhoods. Both struggled all their lives with shyness, and both had big dreams.
      As a teenager, Ella had no real home. She lived on the streets and spent her time hanging around the Harlem Opera House and the Apollo Theater, watching the dancers, singers and comedy acts...
      As a child, Marilyn lived in nine foster homes, attended six elementary schools, and spent time in an orphanage. She stuttered when she was nervous, and was often quiet around adults. But she had a vivid imagination and loved telling stories to other children. She never complained about going to bed because she would stand on her bed and act out movie scenes."

Fancy Party Gowns

The Story of Fashion Designer
Ann Cole Lowe

little bee books
(Bonner Publishing)

(pub. 1.17.2017)

40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Deborah Blumenthal
    and illustrator: Laura Freeman

C haracter: Ann Cole Lowe

O verview from the jacket flap: 

     "When Ann Cole Lowe was a little girl, her momma and grandma taught her how to sew. When her momma died suddenly, Ann took over her job sewing party gowns. It wasn't easy, especially when she went to design school and had to work alone, segregated from the rest of the class. But the work she did set her spirit soaring, as evidenced in the clothes she made.
      Today she is best known for designing the dress that Jacqueline Bouvier wore at her fairy-tale wedding to future president John F. Kennedy.  Rarely credited during her lifetime, Ann Cole Lowe was called society's best-kept secret. This beautiful picture book shines the spotlight on a little-known visionary designer who persevered in times of hardship, always doing what she was passionate about: making elegant gowns for the women who loved to wear them."

T antalizing taste: 
      

     "But when Ann brought the gowns to the mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, where the wedding reception [of JFK and Jackie] would take place, the butler who opened the door told her she'd have to use the back entrance that was meant for workers.
     Ann said that if she had to enter through the back door, the bride and bridesmaids wouldn't be wearing her dresses for the wedding.
     She entered through the front door."

 

and something more: I noticed that the "For Further Reading" section included many articles but few books that discuss Ann Cole Lowe. Of course, that's not surprising because even during her life, she was "society's best-kept secret" and didn't receive the credit she deserved. As Deborah Blumenthal states in her "Author's Note": "In her later years, Ann continued to design dresses for prominent women. She struggled financially though, and in 1960 was forced to close her salon in New York City... While researchers of Ann's life will find inconsistencies in her biography, what is never in dispute is the extent of her talent."