When Marian Sang

When Marian Sang

Written by Pam Munoz Ryan

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Scholastic Inc., 2002

32 Pages

Nonfiction

          This is the story of Marian Anderson, a girl who had a voice like no other and a dream and determination to make the most out of her voice. When she was chosen for the People’s Chorus, she was the youngest member and had to stand in a chair. She dreamed of going to musical school which she finally was able to do at age eighteen, but her dream was crushed when they did not accept “colored” people. She did not give up and continued performing at churches and colleges. She got a chance for singing lessons with a very famous singer, but wanted a better opportunity so she left for France. She was a hit in Europe and performed all over Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Everything was wonderful until she came home to the U.S. and prejudice still prevented her from singing. Finally she was able to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in front of 75,000 people. Sixteen years later, her dream came true; she was the first African American to sing with the Metropolitan Opera. 

          This is a beautifully illustrated book. The illustrations are much larger than the text and invited the reader in. You cannot miss the intricate details of this book. Selnick captures every little detail of Marian’s life. The book features formal and informal text placement, and the majority of the illustrations are double page.  He uses warm colors throughout the book. 

          This book would be a great book to discuss inequality and segregation in history. You could also use this book to teach students to never give up and always follow their dreams like Marian did. It could also be used to incorporate music into the curriculum because there are several songs throughout the book.This book is a Robert F. Sibert honor book.