Baby Flo: Florence Mills Lights Up the Stage

by Alan Schroeder, Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrator), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrator)

Overview

This spirited biography introduces young readers to the early life of Florence "Baby Flo" Mills, an internationally renowned entertainer of the Harlem Renaissance era who began her career as a child.

Straight up: Florence was a remarkable child, and that's a fact.

Pint-sized dynamo "Baby Florence" Mills sang and danced just about as soon as she could talk and walk. She warbled a tune while her mama did laundry. She strutted through the streets of Washington, D.C. with a high-steppin' cakewalk. Flo's mama and daddy knew they had a budding entertainer in the family, so they entered Florence in a talent contest.

Baby Flo went on to become an international superstar during the Harlem Renaissance — but first she had to overcome a case of stage fright and discover that winning wasn't everything. Here is the spirited story of that spunky young girl learning to chase her dreams with confidence. A sensation in her time, Baby Flo is back, dancing and singing her way into hearts and history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643790862
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 11 Years

About the Author

Alan Schroeder is the author of several acclaimed picture books that capture the early lives of notable African Americans. His work has appeared on ALA Notable booklists and has been honored among TIME magazine’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. Schroeder lives in Alameda, California.

Cornelius Van Wright and his wife Ying-Hwa Hu have illustrated dozens of award-winning books. Their illustrations have been praised by Kirkus Reviews as “bright, detailed and dynamic, vividly depicting . . . characters’ facial features and personalities.” Van Wright, a native New Yorker, lives in New York City.

Ying-Hwa Hu and her husband Cornelius Van Wright have illustrated dozens of award-winning books. Their illustrations have been praised by Kirkus Reviews as "bright, detailed and dynamic, vividly depicting . . . characters' facial features and personalities." Hu, who was born in Taiwan, lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

"A stirring picture-book biography." — Booklist

Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education

From the Publisher

Florence Mills, dancer and singer, was the sweetheart of the Harlem Renaissance. From childhood, Baby Flo entertained her family and her neighbors in Washington, D.C. Her parents put her on stage when she was 3 years old, entered her in cakewalk contests and had her entertain the rich and powerful at their homes. Fame came early in the vaudeville production The Sons of Ham. Mills went on to perform to great acclaim in stage productions in New York and in London. Unfortunately, she died in 1927 at the age of 31 and was mourned by thousands at her Harlem funeral. Duke Ellington's composition "Black Beauty" is believed to have been written in her memory. Schroeder concentrates his story on her very early years, leaving her exciting adult career and life to a lengthy afterword. The watercolor illustrations feature a perpetually smiling Flo, smiling family, smiling neighbors and smiling passersby. She is not well known today because there are no known recordings or film footage, and unfortunately, this title presents an overly perky perspective on an African-American performer born to former slaves. There should be a better balance between the actual text and the information in the author's note. Kudos for the effort, but a more illuminating text and more suitable illustrations would have made this a much better title. (author's note, photographs) (Picture book/biography. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews