Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra
Andrea Davis Pinkney

Jump at the Sun
New York
1999

This is the story of one of America's greatest composers, Duke Ellington.  He is introduced as a smooth talkin,' slick-steppin,' piano playin' kid with his "fine as pie looks and flashy threads" — thus earning him the name "Duke," by which he would be known his entire life. Readers learn of other key milestones in Duke's life.

Noteworthy Features:

• Written in a jazz-style prose
• Illustrations: rainbow colors, strokes that swirl

I think students would enjoy this book. It would be a good book to introduce a musician to the students. Duke Ellington also stopped music for a little bit to play baseball. Some students, especially the boys, might find that interesting and therefore become more engaged in this book.

Links to Classroom Activities:

• Book Info and Lessons 
• Lesson Plans from ReadWriteThink