The Singer and the Scientist
It’s 1937, and Marian Anderson is one of the most famous singers in America. But after she gives a performance for an all-white audience, she learns that the nearby hotel is closed to African Americans. She doesn’t know where she’ll stay for the night.
Until the famous scientist Albert Einstein invites her to stay at his house. Marian, who endures constant discrimination as a Black performer, learns that Albert faced prejudice as a Jew in Germany. She discovers their shared passion for music—and their shared hopes for a more just world.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
978-1-5415-7609-4
|
$13.49 | |
|
978-1-5415-7610-0
|
$7.99 | |
|
978-1-7284-2490-3
|
$22.99 | |
|
978-1-7284-2098-1
|
$34.99 | |
|
978-1-7284-2097-4
|
$6.99 |
Awards
- Notable AwardNotable Award Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
- Bank Street School of Education Best Children's Books of the Year
- Notable AwardNotable Award Children's Picture Book Finalist
- Notable AwardNotable Award National Jewish Book Award Finalist
Reviews
Moment Magazine
Bonds forged in the United States between Jews and non-Jews—particularly non-Jewish Black Americans—underlie two other recent picture books. The Singer and The Scientist (by Lisa Rose with illustrations by Isabel Muñoz) spotlights the friendship between Marian Anderson (1897-1993), the pathbreaking Black opera singer, and Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the celebrated Jewish physicist who found refuge from Nazi Germany in the United States. In 1937, Anderson was denied hotel accommodations after a performance in Princeton, New Jersey, so Einstein hosted her in his home. The book is grounded in this origin story, and it offers a moving portrait of the friendship between these famous figures, who both faced different kinds of prejudice. This title was also named a National Jewish Book Award finalist.
Historical Novel Society
“Rose’s choice of wording is both melodic and rhythmic for reading aloud, and themes of doing what is right and showing kindness makes The Singer and the Scientist a current and fulfilling addition to any library.” — Dorothy Schwab, Historical Novel Society
Jewish Book Council
“This highly recommended story includes an informative author’s note about the social activism of the book’s subjects.” — Emily Schneider, Jewish Book Council
AJL Newsletter
“Without self-consciousness, The Singer and the Scientist recreates a time when these two communities worked together towards common goals.” — Marian Grann, retired teacher, co-author (with Janet Willen) of Five Thousand Years of Slavery and Speak a Word for Freedom: Women Against Slavery, (Tundra), Toronto, Canada, AJL Newsletter