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When Grandmama Sings: An Inspiring Story for Kids (Ages 4-8) About Music and Family ― A Mother's Day Gift
"Belle, tonight was special. I could feel all of those folks with me. I want us to feel this way all the time. I want to sing in a place where black people and white people aren't kept apart," Grandmama said. "That's the kind of world I want for you."
When Grandmama Coles gets a big chance, Belle gets one, too. Belle's going to spend the summer touring the South with Grandmama and a swing jazz band! Belle's never been outside Pecan Flats, Mississippi, and she can't wait to go on the road with Grandmama, helping her read signs and menus and hearing her sing. There are so many new things to see on their travels through the Deep South. But some things aren't new. Everything is segregated, just like at home. But Grandmama stands up for what's right. And when she sings, Belle knows that Grandmama's song can bring everyone together.
From Margaree King Mitchell and James E. Ransome, the award-winning author and artist of Uncle Jed's Barbershop, comes this new picture-book collaboration about the gift of love, the beauty of music, and its power to bring people together—even in the segregated South.
When Grandmama Coles gets a big chance, Belle gets one, too. Belle's going to spend the summer touring the South with Grandmama and a swing jazz band! Belle's never been outside Pecan Flats, Mississippi, and she can't wait to go on the road with Grandmama, helping her read signs and menus and hearing her sing. There are so many new things to see on their travels through the Deep South. But some things aren't new. Everything is segregated, just like at home. But Grandmama stands up for what's right. And when she sings, Belle knows that Grandmama's song can bring everyone together.
From Margaree King Mitchell and James E. Ransome, the award-winning author and artist of Uncle Jed's Barbershop, comes this new picture-book collaboration about the gift of love, the beauty of music, and its power to bring people together—even in the segregated South.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 1, 2017
When the grandmother is asked to go on tour and sing, her 8-year-old granddaughter joined her. This book told the story of how music can bring everyone together.
My students really wished this was a non-fiction book. They loved the idea of this story.
My students really wished this was a non-fiction book. They loved the idea of this story.
June 23, 2012
Audience: 3rd - 5th Grade, children interested in history and how the United States used to segregated. There are a few actual lyrics in the story that would be interesting if music teachers are teaching about spirituals, blues and jazz music. This would give them the background knowledge of when some of these songs were sung.
Appeal: The story has the little girl taking care of her Grandma as she goes on tour in the deep south. The little girl is the only one that can read, so she portrays the reader with the questions she asks about segregation and why black people are treated differently then white people. The storyline is easy to understand, but would lead to good questions about the past.
Awards: The author and illustrator has won Coretta Scott King awards for previous books. This book has a copyright of 2012, so it doesn't appear on any award lists... yet. Wendy G. gave permission to use this book.
Appeal: The story has the little girl taking care of her Grandma as she goes on tour in the deep south. The little girl is the only one that can read, so she portrays the reader with the questions she asks about segregation and why black people are treated differently then white people. The storyline is easy to understand, but would lead to good questions about the past.
Awards: The author and illustrator has won Coretta Scott King awards for previous books. This book has a copyright of 2012, so it doesn't appear on any award lists... yet. Wendy G. gave permission to use this book.
December 5, 2019
Grandmama has a beautiful voice and is asked to sing at many gatherings. She gets a chance to sing for people in other places; this is the segregated South and black people are not welcome everywhere.
Her granddaughter Belle gets the chance to travel with her; neither Belle nor her grandmama have ever traveled anywhere so they now see much of the South. At the end of her tour grandmama gets a record contract with a company up north.
Her granddaughter Belle gets the chance to travel with her; neither Belle nor her grandmama have ever traveled anywhere so they now see much of the South. At the end of her tour grandmama gets a record contract with a company up north.
August 21, 2020
Belle's grandmother is an amazing singer who performs with the church choir and at almost every celebration in their city. When her grandmother is offered the opportunity to tour the south, Belle joins her. At every performance, Belle's grandmother sings beautifully...but they experience racism all along the way. It ends on a promising note, with Belle's grandmother receiving a record deal in the north; and Belle seeing how strong her grandmother was.
May 31, 2023
This is a story of courage and caring. It also might be a pretty darned upsetting story to read to a child of picture book age.
For children (and adults) who can handle the harsh history of those who slowly opened up the South to something beginning to approach racial justice; to those who slowly and patiently tolerated cruel bigotry and unfair working conditions, then this story could beworthwhile. The ending is definitely encouraging.
FIVE STARS for a noble tale well told.
For children (and adults) who can handle the harsh history of those who slowly opened up the South to something beginning to approach racial justice; to those who slowly and patiently tolerated cruel bigotry and unfair working conditions, then this story could beworthwhile. The ending is definitely encouraging.
FIVE STARS for a noble tale well told.
October 22, 2022
This picture book provides a short, fictional glimpse into Black history and the challenges that singers and musicians faced when traveling through and performing in segregated areas. It's nice, but it's a little bit rushed and preachy, and there are so many wonderful picture book biographies available about Black performers that I would recommend a true story instead.
October 20, 2021
Historical fiction book set in the south during segregation. A grandmother with a gorgeous voice takes her grandchild on a musical band tour around the south, and her grandchild observes how people can come together over music. Very nice painted illustrations.
February 5, 2021
Sweet story that introduces young readers to a slice of music history while shedding light on what life in the Jim Crow south was like.
February 26, 2023
An uplifting story about black life in the Jim Crow south with great illustrations. A good introduction for kids.
November 29, 2025
Excellent story
February 27, 2017
Great story with beautiful illustrations!
July 27, 2016
When Grandmama Sings, written by Margaree King Mitchell and illustrated by James E. Ransome, is a nominee for the 14-15 South Carolina Picture Book Award.
Set against the backdrop of the racially-segregated South, When Grandmama Sings is a heart-warming story about persistence and hope. When eight-year-old Belle's grandmother, Ivory Belle Coles, gets the opportunity to do a singing tour across the South, Belle begs to go along. Her parents agree to let Belle be a helper to her grandmother.
"Grandmama couldn't read herself. But she always had a song to sing."
Along the way, young Belle points out that black and white people are treated differently everywhere they go. Through it all, though, her grandmother never loses her spirit, her will, or her love of music. Music has the power to bring everyone, regardless of color, together.
Belle's grandmother taught her that going after dreams is important. It could be something as simple as learning to read or becoming a singer, but it could be something--like equality for all--with the power to change the world.
This book is great for a simple yet powerful illustration of life in the segregated South. It could be used in elementary classrooms in units on Civil Rights. It could also be part of lessons on persistence and courage in the face of adversity.
Based on the endpapers of this book, I'm led to believe that this book was at least partially based on a true story. If that's true, an afterword by the author would have been helpful. Other than that, I highly recommend this book to any reader--young or old--who wants to be inspired to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.
Set against the backdrop of the racially-segregated South, When Grandmama Sings is a heart-warming story about persistence and hope. When eight-year-old Belle's grandmother, Ivory Belle Coles, gets the opportunity to do a singing tour across the South, Belle begs to go along. Her parents agree to let Belle be a helper to her grandmother.
"Grandmama couldn't read herself. But she always had a song to sing."
Along the way, young Belle points out that black and white people are treated differently everywhere they go. Through it all, though, her grandmother never loses her spirit, her will, or her love of music. Music has the power to bring everyone, regardless of color, together.
Belle's grandmother taught her that going after dreams is important. It could be something as simple as learning to read or becoming a singer, but it could be something--like equality for all--with the power to change the world.
This book is great for a simple yet powerful illustration of life in the segregated South. It could be used in elementary classrooms in units on Civil Rights. It could also be part of lessons on persistence and courage in the face of adversity.
Based on the endpapers of this book, I'm led to believe that this book was at least partially based on a true story. If that's true, an afterword by the author would have been helpful. Other than that, I highly recommend this book to any reader--young or old--who wants to be inspired to believe in themselves and follow their dreams.
August 9, 2012
When Grandmama Sings by Margaree King Mitchell (illustrated by James E. Ransome) is an uplifting story of courage, strength, and perseverance in the face of adversity. Grandmama Coles, a jazz singer from Pecan Flats, Mississippi, is given an opportunity to tour the Deep South during the summer months with a swing jazz band. She is accompanied by her granddaughter, Belle, who learns that using one's talents and standing up for one's beliefs are important in spite of opposition.
When Grandmama Sings is set during the 1940s where segregation and discrimination were the order of the day. Told through the eyes of Belle, the reader learns something of the history of race relations in the U.S. While Grandmama Coles and the band suffer ill-treatment at the hands of club and business owners, they press on in their quest to perform--sometimes even for free. Leading the charge is Grandmama Coles who demands justice while her gift for song brings people people from different walks of life together. Belle has a close and loving relationship with her grandmother. These acts of bravery only serve to bring them closer.
A wonderfully-illustrated book with the artwork of James E. Ransome, When Grandmama Sings is a story that children and adults alike will enjoy time and time again.
When Grandmama Sings is set during the 1940s where segregation and discrimination were the order of the day. Told through the eyes of Belle, the reader learns something of the history of race relations in the U.S. While Grandmama Coles and the band suffer ill-treatment at the hands of club and business owners, they press on in their quest to perform--sometimes even for free. Leading the charge is Grandmama Coles who demands justice while her gift for song brings people people from different walks of life together. Belle has a close and loving relationship with her grandmother. These acts of bravery only serve to bring them closer.
A wonderfully-illustrated book with the artwork of James E. Ransome, When Grandmama Sings is a story that children and adults alike will enjoy time and time again.
February 17, 2012
This is a beautifully illustrated, memoir type story of a little girl traveling with her grandmother and her band through the segregated south. The straight-forward remembrances of young Belle offer a great opportunity for dialogue with elementary children through scenarios that are not too scary, but powerful and honest. When Belle helps read Whites Only signs for her grandmother who cannot, it's a poignant realization for readers that a child growing up in segregation, might be proud of her own ability while simultaneously being pained by the messages she receives. The tone of the book is hopeful and uplifting. My only complain is that the story, and images, particularly a rendering of what appears to be an actual photograph in the back, indicate that this may be based on a true story, or at least a true band, however I find no indication one way or the other in the book or researching on my own. It would be great if students could use this as a launching pad to find out the real details of Ivory Belle Coles' life, if indeed she existed.
September 26, 2012
When golden-voiced Grandmother Ivory Belle Coles is offered the chance to tour the South with a band, she takes along her granddaughter. On their tour, Belle learns about quite a lot about segregation and prejudice since the band has trouble finding places to stay and eat. She also observes as her grandmother behaves in heroic ways, singing jazz before a segregated crowd in Alabama but somehow uniting them with her voice. I loved the lines the author used to describe what happened: "When it was over, the white people were calling for more just as loud as the black people. It was a happy noise, and we all sounded the same" (unpaged). Although Belle's grandmother may be illiterate, she helps her granddaughter dream of her own bright future. The illustrations show the love the Coles family has for each other and the determination on the face of the grandmother. My favorite image shows her singing as the spotlight plays on her facial features. The endpapers featuring Ivory Bell Coles and her band seem to indicate that the picture book is based on real incidents and a real grandmother.
February 25, 2013
This is a fictional story set in the 1940’s about Belle, a young girl who accompanies her talented grandmother and her jazz band on a singing tour through Southern towns. As they travel from town to town, the author shows the different kinds of discrimination they would have faced in the Jim Crow South. Although Belle’s grandmother eventually leaves for the north, “where things were a little easier for black people,” Belle’s grandmother never loses her faith that blacks and whites can live together one day all over the country, and that, by the time Belle grows up, she will be able to follow her own dreams.
Ransome’s warm watercolors echo the warmth of the family members’ love for one another, but what is really notable for me is his use of facial expressions. They speak volumes, and kids will be able to figure out what is going on even without reading the text.
I also love the nerve exhibited by Grandmama, and the unshaking faith she has that people will eventually do the right thing.
Reading level: Ages 5 and up
Ransome’s warm watercolors echo the warmth of the family members’ love for one another, but what is really notable for me is his use of facial expressions. They speak volumes, and kids will be able to figure out what is going on even without reading the text.
I also love the nerve exhibited by Grandmama, and the unshaking faith she has that people will eventually do the right thing.
Reading level: Ages 5 and up
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March 18, 2012When Belle's grandmother is asked to go on tour and sing, 8-year-old Belle can't wait to go with her. She's never been anywhere before, just like her Grandmother, so it will be her job to help out Grandmama when she can. However, the trip awakens Belle to how everything is segregated, just like in their hometown of Mississippi. One night, only seventeen people show up to hear Grandmama sing. Another night, Grandmama isn't paid. They also have to fight to get food from a "Whites Only" diner. But Belle loves how Grandmama's voice can bring everyone together. When they get home, they knew everything would work out as Grandmama receives an offer from a record company.
March 31, 2012
It's so realistic and convincing that readers want to try to find the history of the singer and her band. Unfortunately, they seem to be totally fictional. Fortunately, Margaree King Mitchell has created a powerful story about the American South during the days of segregation. The fictional grandmother in the story is a singer with a beautiful voice who gets a chance to tour the south with other African American musicians. The problem is that she never learned to read, so her granddaughter goes with her, to help her on the tour.
The story may help some children understand what life was like back then, but mainly it's just a good story.
The story may help some children understand what life was like back then, but mainly it's just a good story.
July 30, 2012
When Grandmama sings, I could hear her powerful voice. Set in the 1960s before the civil rights movement, this story covers the budding career of an older woman given the chance to travel in the South to sing at various venues before desegregation. The story is told through the eyes of a school aged child who travels with her grandmother to help her read. She cannot believe the injustice her grandmother has to face with her band as they make their way through the South. At the end, the main character and her grandmother just have one wish, for people of all colors to sit together in one room and here her beautiful voice.
June 18, 2012
Set in the pre-Civil Rights South, this book deals frankly with issues of segregation and racism. The book treats the African-American singer, Ivory Bell Coles, and her granddaughter Belle with respect, but without pathos. Lexile measure: AD620. Good for classroom discussion on civil rights and family values. Handsomely illustrated by James Ransome, winner of a Coretta Scott King Award for The Creation by James Weldon Johnson, and a Coretta Scott King Honor for Uncle Jed’s Barbershop.
February 3, 2012
Beautifully illustrated and interesting story about a grandmother who takes her young granddaughter on a singing tour in the segregated South. Story is told from child's perspective who describes segregated restaurants and theaters as events that "made her feel sad". This title will work well for Black History Month programs for ages 5 and older.
October 16, 2011
Beautifully illustrated story about a young girl who admires her grandmother's ability to sing and gets to accompany her on a tour and has to face issues of segregation. Other books have addressed this theme in a more powerful manner but the illustrations are beautiful.
July 15, 2016
Story of a women who won't take no for an answer; and has a set of pipes who won't quiet. Despite the challenges of segregation, Belle's Grandmama is going on tour to share her angelic voice to anyone who will come to hear. Whether its a packed house or a small crowd Grandmama give it her all.
March 15, 2012
Grandmama, a contemporary of Ella Fitzgerald, travels through the racist, segregated South on a singing tour. While the characters are fictional, the feel is very realistic. The facade for "The Magnolia Theatre" supposedly in Atlanta, looks vaguely similar to The Fox.
March 20, 2012
Fictional account of the segregated South. This story tells how Grandmama Coles and her granddaughter Belle travel thoughout the South with a swing band. Kids will get a chance to read how Blacks were mistreated by law enforcement, as well as, businesses.
March 31, 2014
This was a gorgeous and lyrical book set in the South during segregation. The illustrations were beautiful, the story itself just as lovely and the ending was poignant but uplifting at the same time. Definitely a book I'd recommend.
September 9, 2014
A beautifully illustrated historical, this story shows children that believing in yourself and striving to do the right thing, while asking others to do the same, can result in a fulfilled life and an inspiration to all.
January 14, 2012
Beautiful illustrations and a great story set in the segregated south.
February 25, 2012
A very original story in the canon of picture books about the Civil Rights movement. Ransome's paintings are so rich!
March 5, 2012
Illustrations are lovely and it is a nice story, but a little didactic, wish the message could have been woven in more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews