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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Lucille Ball?
Who doesn't love Lucy? The legendary actress, producer, and comedian steps into the Who Was? spotlight.
Much like her hit TV show, I Love Lucy, Americans in the 1950s fell in love with Lucy. Born in New York in 1911, Lucille Ball was always a natural performer. She danced in the chorus of Broadway shows and acted in small parts in Hollywood movies. But Ball's true gift was comedy. She found a way to showcase her gifts in 1951 when CBS gave her the chance to star in a sitcom. She based the show on her life and called it I Love Lucy. Over sixty years later, it is still one of the most loved television shows of all time. Lucille Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu, and her comedic genius has kept people laughing for generations.
Much like her hit TV show, I Love Lucy, Americans in the 1950s fell in love with Lucy. Born in New York in 1911, Lucille Ball was always a natural performer. She danced in the chorus of Broadway shows and acted in small parts in Hollywood movies. But Ball's true gift was comedy. She found a way to showcase her gifts in 1951 when CBS gave her the chance to star in a sitcom. She based the show on her life and called it I Love Lucy. Over sixty years later, it is still one of the most loved television shows of all time. Lucille Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu, and her comedic genius has kept people laughing for generations.
112 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
70 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Pam Pollack
71 books37 followersPamela Pollack is a writer/editor/compiler of children's and young adult books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
November 18, 2022
Anyone who has ever seen "I Love Lucy' can recall Lucille Ball's comedic style and her ability to make you laugh with her humorous actions and on point facial expressions. It's easy to see how her outgoing personality and easy joviality made her the "Queen of Comedy."
This short biography looks at her acting career and emphasizes the difficulty she faced breaking into the business. Her continued efforts, small successes, and marriage to Desi Arnaz eventually lead to her starring role. There are plenty of insights into what was, and in many ways still is, valued in the film and television industry.
During her career, Lucille Ball had several noteworthy accomplishments:
- Due to the popularity of I Love Lucy, Monday evenings saw some unusual phenomena. Stores changed their hours to accommodate tv viewing, telephone calls and water usage dropped sharply during the half-hour time slot, and taxis were hard to come by as even cabbies wanted to watch Lucy and Desi.
- When Lucy was pregnant with her son, it was the first time a pregnancy was shown on television.
- She and her son, Desi Jr., appeared on the first cover of TV Guide.
- She was the first woman to run a major production company.
Determined to be a star, Lucy worked hard to earn her place. Lucy and Desi made a great team, and together they broke barriers in the entertainment industry. Even after their divorce, Desi and Lucy maintained a close friendship and a special bond.
Lucille Ball is an unforgettable woman and actress. Her signature look, voice, and style make her instantly recognizable. She's not a woman you soon forget, nor is she one that you want to. She still entertains us even now, long after her death.
This short biography looks at her acting career and emphasizes the difficulty she faced breaking into the business. Her continued efforts, small successes, and marriage to Desi Arnaz eventually lead to her starring role. There are plenty of insights into what was, and in many ways still is, valued in the film and television industry.
During her career, Lucille Ball had several noteworthy accomplishments:
- Due to the popularity of I Love Lucy, Monday evenings saw some unusual phenomena. Stores changed their hours to accommodate tv viewing, telephone calls and water usage dropped sharply during the half-hour time slot, and taxis were hard to come by as even cabbies wanted to watch Lucy and Desi.
- When Lucy was pregnant with her son, it was the first time a pregnancy was shown on television.
- She and her son, Desi Jr., appeared on the first cover of TV Guide.
- She was the first woman to run a major production company.
Determined to be a star, Lucy worked hard to earn her place. Lucy and Desi made a great team, and together they broke barriers in the entertainment industry. Even after their divorce, Desi and Lucy maintained a close friendship and a special bond.
Lucille Ball is an unforgettable woman and actress. Her signature look, voice, and style make her instantly recognizable. She's not a woman you soon forget, nor is she one that you want to. She still entertains us even now, long after her death.
September 25, 2018
I read this wonderful children's book along with the audiobook. Lucille was a great woman, daughter, granddaughter, human being, mother, wife, businesswoman, friend and artist and she was a very hard working person and a woman ahead of her time too. I loved to watch her on TV when I was a kid and a teen.
January 14, 2024
annual "who was" book from my dad. did you know that in the 50s when "i love lucy" was airing these things happened: stores changed their hours, no one could find a cab because taxi drivers would be taking their break, and the water pressure would go down because everyone would wait to go to the bathroom until the show was over. i bet you didn't know that. they also made a baby doll recreation of her son.... creepy... but also.... cool
July 22, 2018
This book is in a series of books released as brief timelines of various important people's lives. It doesn't go into real depth but it is still a wonderful book to read. This book follows the life of Lucille Ball up until her death. I highly recommend these books for everyone of all ages. They are not only fun to read but you do learn a lot.
March 18, 2017
I adore Lucy. This bio was the perfect amount of information!
September 4, 2019
There was so much that I didn't know about the woman who can still make me laugh hysterically.
December 26, 2021
I love all of her " I Love Lucy" shows! One of my favorites I'd watch with my grandmother growing up.
February 21, 2017
Lucille Ball is one of the original queens of comedy. What I liked most about her is that she had to work hard to accomplish her dream. During the golden age of Hollywood, she wasn't the beauty, which didn't discourage her. She knew her strength was in comedy. Later on in her career, she became one of the first women to run her own production studio. She was a very smart woman. One that should never be forgotten.
January 18, 2018
I have been interested in these Big head books. Yes, that's what I call them. I saw this one at my local library( I love library books!!) and picked it up to give one a try. I love always loved Lucille Ball, she's hilarious and such an amazing icon. This gave a pretty descriptive biography of her. I was even impressed about the mention of her death and the death of Desi. I really enjoyed this and will recommend for my nieces and I will pick up other "Big Head" books :).
July 31, 2017
Great book for someone to learn more about Lucille Ball and her career. Kept to mostly positive aspects of her life and relationship. Very interesting for a small book and appropriate for kids.
January 5, 2021
I loved Lucille Ball, I enjoyed watching her Tv series back in the day.
May 6, 2023
I have been into I Love Lucy lately and was excited to read about the main character's history. I learned a lot of facts and enjoyed it much!
June 8, 2025
I have been a fan of Lucille Ball all my life. My parents watched her shows growing up. I introduced my daughters to the show & watching it was a nice way to avoid all the drama of 9/11. This book was a nice dedication to the hard work & perseverance of Lucille Ball.
July 29, 2020
I've been requesting lots of Who HQ books for a friend of mine, who is 101 years and seeking books to read. They're a nice length and have nice print size and spacing, and they're numerous on a wide variety of interesting people and places. She's enjoying them and I'm enjoying picking out titles I hope she'll enjoy.
We were talking about middle names during one of my through-the-window screen visits recently, my friend's middle name is Lucille and we got to talking about I Love Lucy. I have never seen an episode! So anyway, we both read this. As usual, it's a compact biography containing facts, highlights, and interesting tidbits on the subject - the life of Lucille Ball. But this one left me with more questions than usual, which is why it doesn't rank as high for me as other Who books.
And to be fully fair via honesty here, I'm less impacted or impressed by Who subjects whose main accomplishment is rising to money and fame. I'm not a big fan of celebrity. I realize that Lucille Ball accomplished more than this by making millions of people laugh, and if I had been one of those people (rather than someone who has never seen her shows) I may have felt more sentimental.
I always ask myself when reading these books, why was this person chosen as a subject? Sometimes it's obvious without asking. Sometimes I wonder a little more. Usually there is a theme of perseverance, of work ethic, following dreams, trailblazing, try, try again! That is present here. Lucille Ball was not an instant success. She had to keep at her dreams for a long time before seeing them come to fruition. Go, Lucy! On the other hand, the book emphasizes the fact that she lacked talent as a singer and dancer, highlights her long legs as the reason she was hired as a Chesterfield girl, tells a story about her stuffing her bra to try to get an acting role (lined up posing in swimwear to be inspected by a male doing the hiring) and expresses her continued vanity over her legs. I didn't like the tone. While this is the truth of the way our world used to be and very much still is, it's not the message I want replayed for my daughter.
Of course, Lucy eventually finds her niche, breaks barriers, and becomes successful while being uniquely herself. This is good. Use your wit, kids. Not your body.
We were talking about middle names during one of my through-the-window screen visits recently, my friend's middle name is Lucille and we got to talking about I Love Lucy. I have never seen an episode! So anyway, we both read this. As usual, it's a compact biography containing facts, highlights, and interesting tidbits on the subject - the life of Lucille Ball. But this one left me with more questions than usual, which is why it doesn't rank as high for me as other Who books.
And to be fully fair via honesty here, I'm less impacted or impressed by Who subjects whose main accomplishment is rising to money and fame. I'm not a big fan of celebrity. I realize that Lucille Ball accomplished more than this by making millions of people laugh, and if I had been one of those people (rather than someone who has never seen her shows) I may have felt more sentimental.
I always ask myself when reading these books, why was this person chosen as a subject? Sometimes it's obvious without asking. Sometimes I wonder a little more. Usually there is a theme of perseverance, of work ethic, following dreams, trailblazing, try, try again! That is present here. Lucille Ball was not an instant success. She had to keep at her dreams for a long time before seeing them come to fruition. Go, Lucy! On the other hand, the book emphasizes the fact that she lacked talent as a singer and dancer, highlights her long legs as the reason she was hired as a Chesterfield girl, tells a story about her stuffing her bra to try to get an acting role (lined up posing in swimwear to be inspected by a male doing the hiring) and expresses her continued vanity over her legs. I didn't like the tone. While this is the truth of the way our world used to be and very much still is, it's not the message I want replayed for my daughter.
Of course, Lucy eventually finds her niche, breaks barriers, and becomes successful while being uniquely herself. This is good. Use your wit, kids. Not your body.
February 7, 2018
great facts
November 6, 2019
This Non-fiction book on Lucille Ball was a great read! It did not take long to read but it was so full of a lot of great information. This is intended for children to read to learn about a very well known lady from TV that had a very accomplished life.
When reading this book it starts out in the very beginning of her life, telling you about her father dying and her family moving in with her grandparents and how badly she wanted to be in the show light.
It talks a lot of her dedication and hard work through all of her struggles to become big in show business. She was not a good singer and dancer and so this caused limitation on her acting career. She ends up in a movie with her future Cuban husband Desi Arnaz, where they fall in love and ended up starting a show together called I love Lucy. It was based of of Lucy as a house wife that gets herself into misfit that is usually hilarious!
This book did not have an intended point of view. It was very formal and straight-forward to the truth of Lucile Ball's Life. The thing that I really liked about this book was all through out the book every time there was new information of history, such as talking about the first television and communist there was a separate page that just gave information on that history! Over all a great book!
When reading this book it starts out in the very beginning of her life, telling you about her father dying and her family moving in with her grandparents and how badly she wanted to be in the show light.
It talks a lot of her dedication and hard work through all of her struggles to become big in show business. She was not a good singer and dancer and so this caused limitation on her acting career. She ends up in a movie with her future Cuban husband Desi Arnaz, where they fall in love and ended up starting a show together called I love Lucy. It was based of of Lucy as a house wife that gets herself into misfit that is usually hilarious!
This book did not have an intended point of view. It was very formal and straight-forward to the truth of Lucile Ball's Life. The thing that I really liked about this book was all through out the book every time there was new information of history, such as talking about the first television and communist there was a separate page that just gave information on that history! Over all a great book!
December 3, 2017
Who Was Lucille Ball? By Pam Pollack is book level 5.7
Summary: This biography outline Lucille Ball's life from birth to death, and gives an account of how she become one of the most influential comedians of all time.
Classroom Integration: I think this could be a fun book for us kids to read, to educate ourselves more on a famous person from history but also to learn about a comedian. I would say since this is such a high book level that I would suggest reading this book aloud to the class. I would highlight during this read aloud how seamless this book went, it went over her childhood then highlighted her career in a good timeline. At the back of the book it gives a timeline for Lucille Ball along with a timeline of major world events that were happening during that time. Students could then go and research a famous person from history that they admire and organize it the same way as this book. Go through their childhood, how they became famous, their careers and love lives and end of the career accomplishments. At the end they should have a timeline of their famous person lives along with a world event timeline. This provides students to conduct their own research but should have a rubric for them to closely follow so they know what to look up.
Summary: This biography outline Lucille Ball's life from birth to death, and gives an account of how she become one of the most influential comedians of all time.
Classroom Integration: I think this could be a fun book for us kids to read, to educate ourselves more on a famous person from history but also to learn about a comedian. I would say since this is such a high book level that I would suggest reading this book aloud to the class. I would highlight during this read aloud how seamless this book went, it went over her childhood then highlighted her career in a good timeline. At the back of the book it gives a timeline for Lucille Ball along with a timeline of major world events that were happening during that time. Students could then go and research a famous person from history that they admire and organize it the same way as this book. Go through their childhood, how they became famous, their careers and love lives and end of the career accomplishments. At the end they should have a timeline of their famous person lives along with a world event timeline. This provides students to conduct their own research but should have a rubric for them to closely follow so they know what to look up.
September 20, 2018
Lucille Ball was my favorite Actress of all time even through she died when I was just three years old. I remember being 8 years old and watching I Love Lucy.
I had ordered this book through the library to read for the summer reading program but it came in too late so I decided to read it myself. I wanted to see if it had anything that I didn't already know about her in it. I have learned a lot about her over my life. One thing I found out through one of my other loves that it was because of her that Star Trek became what it is today because she kept it on the air.
I was surprised that it did have some facts in it that I hadn't learned yet about her. So I would recommend this book to someone who loves Lucy to read it to their kids. Because maybe their kids will better understand what is so special about the show.
I had ordered this book through the library to read for the summer reading program but it came in too late so I decided to read it myself. I wanted to see if it had anything that I didn't already know about her in it. I have learned a lot about her over my life. One thing I found out through one of my other loves that it was because of her that Star Trek became what it is today because she kept it on the air.
I was surprised that it did have some facts in it that I hadn't learned yet about her. So I would recommend this book to someone who loves Lucy to read it to their kids. Because maybe their kids will better understand what is so special about the show.
September 14, 2021
What’s not to love about the Queen of comedy? Or for that matter this book about her? Once again another great read for the “Who Was…” series. Lucille was with out a doubt a woman ahead of her time. “I Love Lucy” was translated in many different languages all over the world. Her show/ work is still funny and entertaining today to a wide variety of people. That’s an amazing when you think about. Without a doubt, she earned her tittle.
It was inspiring to read about Lucille’s journey to becoming the Lucy we all know and love. I didn’t know she struggled so much and worked so hard. Lucille was told more than once that she wasn’t cut out to be an actress or in show business. Good thing she didn’t listen. It’s a big reminder to never give up on your dreams or passions.
I was sad to come to the end. Especially sad to read of Lucille’s end, but she forever lives on through her work.
It was inspiring to read about Lucille’s journey to becoming the Lucy we all know and love. I didn’t know she struggled so much and worked so hard. Lucille was told more than once that she wasn’t cut out to be an actress or in show business. Good thing she didn’t listen. It’s a big reminder to never give up on your dreams or passions.
I was sad to come to the end. Especially sad to read of Lucille’s end, but she forever lives on through her work.
February 7, 2023
"She was the first woman in history to run a major production company."
Overall, this is a good introduction to the life and times of Lucille Ball. The parts about her and Buster Keaton are fascinating, one of those bits of trivia that make perfect sense once you learn them, but was not something I had been aware of before.
I wish in the portion/timeframe where Desilu Studios is talked about there had been a side bar about Star Trek. Without Desilu we wouldn't have Star Trek, and when we look at the Star Trek franchise NIW it is kind of amazing to think of our world without all that content, or the modern world having not been influenced by the original Star Trek series. Lucy, Desi, and Desilu deserve a great deal of credit for the shows they brought to the air beyond just the shows Lucy was in.
Overall, this is a good introduction to the life and times of Lucille Ball. The parts about her and Buster Keaton are fascinating, one of those bits of trivia that make perfect sense once you learn them, but was not something I had been aware of before.
I wish in the portion/timeframe where Desilu Studios is talked about there had been a side bar about Star Trek. Without Desilu we wouldn't have Star Trek, and when we look at the Star Trek franchise NIW it is kind of amazing to think of our world without all that content, or the modern world having not been influenced by the original Star Trek series. Lucy, Desi, and Desilu deserve a great deal of credit for the shows they brought to the air beyond just the shows Lucy was in.
August 20, 2019
Sin duda alguna, una biografía bastante superficial, cubriendo los mayores hitos en la vida artística y personal de esta difunta estrella de la comedia de televisión, Lucille Ball.
Pasaron por altos algunos hechos que ya sabía, sobre todo los problemas familiares que tuvo en su infancia temprana y adolescencia. Pero bueno, no puedo culparlos, esta serie está para un público más general que para aquel que quiera una verdadera y completa biografía.
Bastante interesante y los dibujos a mano muy hermosos.
Pasaron por altos algunos hechos que ya sabía, sobre todo los problemas familiares que tuvo en su infancia temprana y adolescencia. Pero bueno, no puedo culparlos, esta serie está para un público más general que para aquel que quiera una verdadera y completa biografía.
Bastante interesante y los dibujos a mano muy hermosos.
December 24, 2022
Inspiring
It just boggles the mind how Lucy had to struggle for so many years until she finally found her niche and achieved recognition. I don't understand how any of these show biz people were able to watch her perform and not see her talent and potential. Definitely a lesson for us all. And I have to say that Gregory Copeland's illustrations are superb and a delight to the eye!
It just boggles the mind how Lucy had to struggle for so many years until she finally found her niche and achieved recognition. I don't understand how any of these show biz people were able to watch her perform and not see her talent and potential. Definitely a lesson for us all. And I have to say that Gregory Copeland's illustrations are superb and a delight to the eye!
February 25, 2024
I'm a huge fan of Lucille Ball and have been since I was a young girl. This book is a short story/informational book about Lucille's life from a young age until she passed away. I did learn a few new things about Lucille that I didn't know which was good. It also talks about the firsts that Lucille accomplished which some were wow moments for me because it was new information. If you're a Lucille Ball fan I suggest this book 100%.
April 25, 2024
My daughter is reading these books and doing book reports so I thought I'd go ahead and read it too. This was a really interesting little glimpse into Lucille Ball's life. It talks a little about her growing up, her ventures into show business, her relationship with Desi, her time as a mother, and her eventual death. I am excited to continue reading these with my daughter adn then watching/listening to the artists work.
May 24, 2024
This is a very brief intro into the life of Lucille Ball. If you don't know anything about Lucy, this is the book for you. However, if you're a fan, you'll know all of this as basic Lucy knowledge. It is well written, but I just wish it had a bit more meat to the biography.
The illustrations are good as well, but I also wish there were actual color photographs or just real photographs in general.
The illustrations are good as well, but I also wish there were actual color photographs or just real photographs in general.
June 4, 2017
A biography of a television pioneer for junior readers? No. This series is read by both adults and children. You can get a lot of information from this introductory material and the authors make it entertaining throughout the reading experience. It even has short explanation of certain key historical events. I highly recommend.
September 27, 2018
This is a well written introductory biography of Lucille Ball. Though not a long read, this book packs information in in an interesting way that helps the reader understand the life of Ball. I was surprised how much information was covered. It was the first "Who Was?" biography I read, and now I understand why my students enjoy them so much. Great middle grade biography.
January 25, 2019
Thoroughly enjoying these series of child-oriented biographies. Fun to read about “I Love Lucy” and was surprised to know she was investigated for Communist ties. Also makes me want to introduce this show to my kids (thank you Amazon Prime). Even now, with a fresh new generation, I know they would get a kick out of this show and its mishaps.
September 25, 2019
I picked this up since my mother loves Lucille Ball. I loved learning that water pressure would drop every week from 9:30 and 9:35 since people were waiting to use the restroom until after I Love Lucy show ended. It reminds me of the UK having to prepare for when everyone would turn their kettles on at 7:30 when EastEnders would end (a UK show).
October 25, 2019
It’s a very quick way to learn about Lucille Ball. This book gives the perfect amount of information and I’ll recommend it for ages 6 and up. There might be some vocabulary ages younger than 6 may not understand. But I personally think after reading it myself that any age is a great age to hear/read about the story of Lucille Ball’s life! I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews