Publishers Weekly
★ 07/05/2021
Todd’s telling shines in this skillfully paced portrait of Eunice Kathleen Waymon (1933–2003)—more widely known by her stage name of Nina Simone—which traces her journey from a piano-playing child in North Carolina to later years as a performer, protest song pioneer, and civil rights activist. In an elegantly told story, Todd interweaves Simone’s encounters with racism throughout, eventually paralleling Simone’s experiences with concurrent events during the civil rights movement: “But while Nina sang of love, something else stirred in the streets of Philadelphia. A low rumble of anger and fear—the sound of Black people rising, rising, unwilling to accept being treated as less than human.” Caldecott Honoree Robinson contributes distinctive, carefully constructed vignettes of Simone rendered in acrylic paint, collage, and digitally in a predominantly earth-toned palette; in one particularly moving series of illustrations, Robinson constructs historical scenes—Black protestors getting hosed by white cops, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing by the KKK in Birmingham, people gathering at the Washington Monument after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination—beneath or atop the lid of Simone’s grand piano. An engaging, affecting, and powerful biography that aptly situates Simone’s enduring legacy in musical and social history. Back matter includes more about Simone and a bibliography. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Nina:
A 2023 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Pick
A 2022 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A 2022 ALA Notable Children’s Book
A 2022 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Winner
A 2022 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalist
A 2022 ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Pick
A 2022 NCTE/CLA Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award Winner
A 2022 ILA Notable Book for a Global Society Award Winner
A 2022 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book Pick
A 2021 Publishers Weekly Best Book
A 2021 Kirkus Best Book
A 2021 Horn Book Fanfare List Pick
A 2021 Booklist Editors' Choice
A 2021 New York Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 Chicago Public Library Best Book Pick
A 2021 Black Caucus American Library Association Best of the Best Booklist Pick
★ “Nina Simone's beauty and talent is given prominent expression by multiaward-winning Robinson in this picture-book biography . . . while Todd's prose eloquently tells her story from childhood to fame . . . A worthy biography for all collections and especially for those that serve music-loving children.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “Todd’s telling shines in this skillfully paced portrait of Eunice Kathleen Waymon (1933-2003)—more widely known by her stage name of Nina Simone—which traces her journey from a piano-playing child in North Carolina to later years as a performer, protest song pioneer, and civil rights activist. . . An engaging, affecting, and powerful biography that aptly situates Simone’s enduring legacy in musical and social history.” —Publisher’s Weekly, starred review
★ “Todd’s musical prose allows readers into Nina’s perspective, and Robinson’s scenes and portraits absolutely sing with energy, keeping pace perfectly with the text. . . Do not miss this complex story of an American legend.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Some storytellers use words to entertain listeners and readers, while others share their tales in song. Nina: A Story of Nina Simone gracefully brings the life of one such legendary musician into readers’ hearts. . . Traci N. Todd’s straightforward narration is honest and candid . . . [and] fans of Caldecott Honor illustrator Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street, The Bench) will immediately recognize the bold, distinct shapes that are his hallmark. Robinson outdoes himself here . . . reflecting on the strength, hope and revolution she conveyed in her music.” –BookPage, starred review
★ “Todd ends her unflinching narrative with a perfectly placed, direct-address line: “And when she sang of Black children—you lovely, precious dreams—her voiced sounded like hope.” This unexpected, yet needed, outpouring of love is the perfect end to a stunning book.” –Horn Book Review, starred review
★ “Compelling and eloquent…Amplifying Nina's humanity is Robinson's signature acrylic paint and collage art (Last Stop on Market Street; Milo Imagines the World), which always hums and thrums with life…Robinson creates stunning visual music for Traci N. Todd's vibrant picture book biography of the great musician Nina Simone.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review
★ “Discussions of racism and resistance are undertaken with a skillful hand, not exceeding the tone or maturity level appropriate for young readers. Robinson’s jewel-tone artwork is colorful, engaging, and complements Todd’s lyrical text . . . An excellent and magnetic biography, this book is highly recommended in all elementary collections and should be considered for libraries serving older students.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“Luminous . . . [and] visually rapturous . . . Robinson imbues Nina with sumptuous colors . . . His elegantly simple figures recall the work of Ezra Jack Keats and occasionally Charles M. Schulz. . . Simone’s precocity, which shines through . . . is nurtured in intimate moments sitting on her father’s lap at the keyboard, letting him guide her as they play “good-time jazz” together, and on Sundays when she provides the rhythmic and “rolling” accompaniment to her minister mother’s sermons. Todd brings nuance to Simone’s musicianship in ways that should prove instructive to curious young readers. . . The journey to merge her astonishing virtuosity and professional achievements with her bold activism is summed up by the arresting portrait of the artist seated at her baby grand and flanked by four little Black girls.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Todd moves effortlessly between silky narration marked by subtle wordplay, and pointed references to Simone’s musical activism. Robinson’s collage compositions convey critical civil rights context in scenes playing out atop Simone’s grand piano strings, often fiery images that contrast with the pictures of Simone’s childhood origin story and her front-stage panache.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
School Library Journal
★ 11/01/2021
Gr 2–6—This book begins with a little girl, Nina Simone, who has a gift and a passion for music, whether gospel, jazz, or classical. As Simone grows up, she begins to notice more inequities and injustices. Her anger grows, and the focus of the book shifts to issues of the civil rights movement and Simone's role within it. Discussions of racism and resistance are undertaken with a skillful hand, not exceeding the tone or maturity level appropriate for young readers. Robinson's jewel-tone artwork is colorful, engaging, and complements Todd's lyrical text, supporting comprehension and revealing additional details about the time. For example, in one of the opening images, the subject's mother is hanging up laundry while chickens peck around baby Nina in a basket. The character's expressive faces add another dimension that will leave kids much to ponder. This is especially notable in a scene between two families who are segregated, where everyone is hurt by this unjust separation. This title would support curricular units on civil rights, biography, theme, and identity. Back matter includes more details about the artist's life and her relationship to the civil rights movement. VERDICT An excellent and magnetic biography, this book is highly recommended in all elementary collections and should be considered for libraries serving older students.—Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-07-14
This biography of African American icon Nina Simone follows the development of her early musical talent to her popularity as a musician during the civil rights movement.
Born in North Carolina in 1933, Eunice Kathleen Waymon “sang before she could talk and found rhythm before she could walk.” Her mama, a minister, sang only church songs, and her daddy played the upright piano, teaching Eunice to play jazz when Mama was out. From the age of 3, Eunice played music at church while Mama preached. Eunice’s gift was undeniable, and the White woman Mama cleaned for during the week helped arrange music lessons, where Eunice learned classical piano, falling in love with Bach’s music. After high school, Eunice went to New York City to attend the Juilliard School of Music. But when she auditioned for a transfer to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, she was not accepted, and she felt her dream of being a musician slipping away. When she took jobs in nightclubs, she performed as Nina Simone to keep her mother from discovering her secret. The narrative includes details of the love and support of family and community that gave Nina her early start, the disappointments and humiliations she suffered because of racism, and the determination and sheer love of music and of her people that carried her to success despite the setbacks. Todd’s musical prose allows readers into Nina’s perspective, and Robinson’s scenes and portraits absolutely sing with energy, keeping pace perfectly with the text as it expands beyond typical picture-book length. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Do not miss this complex story of an American legend. (note) (Picture book/biography. 4-10)
