Little Diva

by LaChanze, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)

Overview

Curtain up! Light the lights!

Nena wants to be a Diva—with a capital D—just like her mommy, who's a star on Broadway. She wants to sing and act and dance, but knows it will take lots of work—and lots of fun—for all her wishes to come true.

Tony Award-winning actress LaChanze and Caldecott Honoree Brian Pinkney present a showstopping story about a day in the life of a little diva with BIG Broadway dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250878663
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	07/04/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

LaChanze, an award-winning star of stage, film, and television, won a Tony Award for best leading actress in The Color Purple. Her numerous credits on Broadway include The Wiz, Once on this Island, Ragtime, Company, and Dessa Rose. She lives in Westchester, New York, with her husband and their three children.

Brian Pinkney is an award-winning artist of several acclaimed books for children, including Duke Ellington, Hush, Little Baby, and The Faithful Friend. His many awards include two Caldecott Honors, four Coretta Scott King Honors and a Coretta Scott King Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. He lives with his wife and their two children in Brooklyn, New York.

Read an Excerpt

Mommy says a real diva NEVER bows too long, but I could bow forever.

I imagine the day when the audience will clap for me.

They’ll say, “Nena, we love you. Diva! You are amazing!”

But I have a long way to go before that day.

Editorial Reviews

This sparkling story of a show-biz hopeful — and family bonds — will inspire your young star to dream big.” —Working Mother

“All young ones who dream of dressing up and performing will find a kindred spirit in Nena. This should play to sold-out audiences.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“LaChanze, a star of stage and screen herself, supplies a peek at the life of a Broadway performer in this enticing story about a girl's dream of one day conquering the Great White Way. … Youngsters, girls in particular, will pore over the pictures and imagine themselves right into the story. Look out America–this book is sure to increase its numbers of D.I.T.s [Divas in Training].” —School Library Journal

“Imagine a triple billing of Fancy Nancy, Olivia, and Eloise, and you'll have a sense of the energy, ambition, and sheer (yet still-to-be-fully-honed) talent of Little Diva. Her creator, a Tony Award–winning actress, has produced a realistic and endearing character who dreams of taking to the stage like her mother, a Broadway star, with whom she lives in a loving home that includes her grandmother and dog.” —Booklist

“Loose, wispy black line art with pastel-toned washes playfully convey Nena's constant motion and exuberance as she describes her day.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

An award-winning combo, she of the Tony and he of the ALA variety, perform a spirited duet of words and pictures in which Nena, the "D.I.T.-that's a Diva-in-Training," narrates a day in her life. Mommy is a Broadway star, and Nana shares their home. "Divas in Training" dress and move with style, vocalize and on matinee days get to hang out backstage at the theater trying on costumes and assisting the stage manager. Family love and affection is strong, especially when Mommy leaves for the evening performance with many kisses for Nena and Nana tucks her into bed. Pinkney's art swirls about in black lines adorned with yellows, pinks and blues, infusing each page with an infectious upbeat. The swooping lines effectively evoke the bundle of energy that is Nena and the excitement of live performance. All young ones who dream of dressing up and performing will find a kindred spirit in Nena. This should play to sold-out audiences. Accompanying CD read and sung by the author not heard. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews