Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm

by Karen Deans, Joe Cepeda (Illustrator)

In 1909 Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones opened a special home for African American orphans in Mississippi called Piney Woods Country Life School. There, students worked hard on their studies, and no one worked harder than the young musicians who played in the Sweethearts, the schools all-girl swing band. Their music had rhythms and melodies that got people dancing! When the Sweethearts left Piney Woods, they moved to Washington, D.C., to try to make it to the big-time. It wasnt always easy, and it wasnt always safe, but the talented Sweethearts of Rhythm ultimately became an international sensation. Joe Cepedas exuberant illustrations celebrate these brave musicians who chipped away at racist and sexist barriers, and whose music reminded audiences how great it feels to be alive.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Music, History, Biography, African American, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Tamyka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good picture book to learn about an all female big band in the 40s on. The original members were all Black girls without their own adult caregivers who grew up in a group home and the group home owner/director taught them music and encouraged their band. It’s always nice to hear historical stories about Black women.

[Samantha McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swing Sisters tells the amazing true story of an originally all-black, an all-female jazz band from the early 1900s. This inspiring story shows that children can become anything they dream about even when the odds are stacked against them. Not only was this time hard for people of color, but even harder if you were also a woman. Karen Dean's text allows the reader to understand the story easily, making it appropriate for kids in all grades-although it would probably need to be read aloud for younger audiences. Even though the text helps move the story along, the amount on each page may be overwhelming to some. While the text is a vital part of this book, illustrator Joe Cepeda did a fantastic job depicting the writing in his illustrations. Cepeda really brought Dean's words to life in his color-rich drawings-which would help bring in the attention of those younger audiences. The use of color helped to show a wide variety of skin tones so that no one looked the exact same. Also, the colors of the background and the softness of the drawings invite readers in to take a deeper connection to the story.

[GwendeLynn R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful in story and illustrations. Each page is an artful blend of cool and warm tones, with soft brush work. The pages make you feel warm, and as a woman of color I personally love the color tones of each character's skin tone. The pictures are bold and help breathe life into the text. Conversely, I wasn't super fond of how the text fit on the pages. While overall, the small black lettering and the close arrangement of the text adds to the books illustrations and allows for the reader to have a more visual experience while reading. I have to say, I felt that the text was too small. I often read the text as an after thought, even though it was beautifully written.

[Hannah]

I mean it's okay, but it can't decide if it wants to be folksy or straightforward, and it just waffles in between instead.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Women's History Month and this year's theme is Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives, so I thought I would begin the month with a new picture book for older readers that introduces them to the remarkable International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

Shortly after I began this blog, I reviewed a wonderful middle grade book by Marilyn Nelson called Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World. But where Nelson's book covers the kind of music and the places where the Sweethearts played, Swing Sisters begins at the beginning.

In 1909, near Jackson, Mississippi a school/orphanage called Piney Woods Country Life School was started by Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones for African American girls.

The girls were educated, housed, clothed and fed and in return they all did chores to help keep things running smoothly and well. In 1939, Dr. Jones started a band that he called the Sweethearts with some musically talented girls to help raise money for the school. The music they played was called swing or big band music, by either name it was Jazz and people couldn't get enough of it.

Dean describes how the girls stayed together after leaving Piney Woods, hoping to make a living as musicians. They would live, sleep, eat and play music, traveling around from gig to gig in a bus they called Big Bertha. Band members came and went, and before long the band was no longer made up of only African American women, but included many races and nationalities. As a result, they decided to call themselves the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

But while the band hit the big time, they still didn't get paid as much as their male counterparts nor were they taken as seriously, no matter how good they were. Not only that, Dean points out, but in the Jim Crow south, because they were interracial now, traveling and performing became risky and she includes some of those scary, dangerous incidents they faced.

In 1945, as World War II was winding down, the Sweethearts found themselves on a USO tour thanks to a letter writing campaign by African American soldiers. But sadly, the Sweethearts disbanded after the war and the members went their separate ways.

Dean does an excellent job of introducing the Sweethearts to her young readers and the difficulties an all-women's interracial band faced back in the 1940s balancing it with positive events and the strong bonds of friendship among all the members.

Cepeda's colorful acrylic and oil painted illustrations match the energy of the music the Sweethearts played with a bright rainbow palette of greens, pinks, purples, yellows, blues and orange.

So many wonderful books are coming out now introducing young readers to some of the greatest artists and musicians of the 20th century and this book is such a welcome addition.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was bought for my personal library

This review was originally posted on The Children's War

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
2016 Amelia Bloomer Project Top Ten

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piney Woods Country Life School near Jackson, Mississippi provided a home for orphaned African-American girls during the early part of the twentieth century. Not only did the girls learn trades and work hard while also becoming educated, but some of them even learned to play music, thanks to the love for music displayed by their founder, Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones. The Sweethearts, the name he christened them with, began playing together in 1939, specializing in swing music. As the girls grew up, they banded together, based in Washington, DC, and traveled the country, something unheard of for females, not to mention African-American women. Although at first all the members were black, eventually the band embraced women of all colors. The only requirement was being able to play swing the way the rest of them did and a passion for music. Eventually, they even played their music overseas during WWII. The text and illustrations highlight some of their triumphant moments, but also describe how they faced down segregation and sexism. Although I enjoyed the story well enough, I wish that the author had given some information about the personalities of the members of this groundbreaking band. Although I could appreciate how they broke down barriers, these women surely had unique personalities and stories, and I would have loved to have heard some of their voices, if not in the narrative, then in the back matter. The oil and acrylic illustrations capture the flavor of the times, and seem to show some very happy musicians and orphans. I can't imagine that it was always the case, but perhaps music gave them the perfect means of self-expression and outlet for their emotions. Pair this one with the more sophisticated, Sweethearts of Rhythm by Marilyn Nelson.

[Cynthia Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones began a school for orphans in 1909 near Jackson, Mississippi. The orphanage was called the Piney Woods Country Life School. Dr. Jones was a music lover and wanted the children to love music too. In 1939, he began a school band that was solely for girls and called this band "The Sweethearts." The girls played music called swing, which was just the rhythm to make people get on their feet and dance. the Sweethearts traveled the country with a full band consisting of sections of brass, woodwinds, rhythm along with a singer and a conductor as well as a music coach. the group generated excitement by playing their "Swing" music in churches and schools. Eventually moving to Washinton DC they lived together hoping to be full time musicians. They hired a full time chaperone who traveled with them to make sure there were safe places for the women to eat and sleep. They traveled on an old bus which they named Big Bertha. The group members were mostly black, but they accepted women of other races and nationalities as long as they could play. Eventually they became the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and finally made it to the Big Tune, even traveling overseas to entertain troops. At one time, white women were members of the band, but hid their race with dark makeup. The Sweethearts eventually disbanded and married and raised families of their own, but they changed the world musically.

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the ebook on EPIC.
This is a nonfiction picture book that starts in 1909 starts with the story about Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones and Piney Woods Country Life School. He shared his love for music by starting a school band called the Sweethearts. The book follows the Sweethearts as they moved around the country and became diverse. It shares the struggles that they all faced at that time in our country.
I suggest this book for elementary and middle school grades. It can be used for lessons on equality and Jim Crowe lessons.
This book has won the Amelia Bloomer Book award as found on the American Library Association.
http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/swing...

[Lauryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting! I loved watching the transformation of the band from grade school to adulthood throughout the book! I felt almost as if I was taking this journey with the characters. This book has the ability to teach young children that you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it, no matter your age, race, or gender. Even though some people did not accept this music group of African American women, they still worked hard to pursue their dreams. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy to read story about the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a swing band started at the Piney Woods School for orphans. "Swing Sisters" is a nice introduction to the musical genre of swing, and the role that women played in spreading this genre throughout the U.S. and the world.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good summary of the band

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew about this group; interesting musical & racial history.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

All female mix raced swing/jazz band that led the way for other performers.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a group of talented women musicians who broke down gender and race barriers as they shared their music around the country (and overseas.)

[Karl H · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an interesting book about talented sister musicians.

[Shakira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork was immaculate! A lot of historical information was extremely simplified & compacted. Informative & inspirational

[Ro Menendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a tough break in life, such as being an orphan, the girls at Piney Woods Country Life School, learned that hard-work and dedication can change life around for any girl. This is the story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, who learned to play instruments as part of their well-rounded education at Piney Woods and went off to be one of the most renowned Swing bands, breaking many stereotypes with their all-girl, interracial, big band sound, that left all toes tapping and most audiences dancing. This story bring about many opportunities to discuss segregation, civil rights, and other social and political issues of past and current times. The illustrations’ colors are bold, just like the music it describes, full of energy, passion, and movement. Not a single illustration can be found where movement isn’t celebrated as part of the whole making reading and looking through this book a joyous experience. Selected biography at the end includes books, documentaries and websites where the reader can experience the amazing sound of the Sweethearts.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 1900's Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones opened an orphanage for African-American children. In it, he started a girls' band that played swing music. The Sweethearts, as they became known, traveled the country (and eventually the world) sharing their music and their sisterhood. They had to deal with segregation and prejudice, and occasionally had to hide the white women who eventually became part of the band. In the big band era the now International Sweethearts of Rhythm was an aberration--an all-women band that knew their stuff. They played for churches, schools, and even in Europe for soldiers fighting in WWII. Rich oil and acrylic illustrations accompany beautifully-written text that draws readers in and makes them care. This is a little-known story that would fit beautifully with both Black History month and Women's History Month.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my efforts to learn more US history and it’s various cultures I chose to read this title. Originating in Mississippi from an orphanage, the Piney Woods Country Life School, a number of young women were taught music and their performances helped to support Piney Woods. As young women they toured as the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and at times were an interracial all female group playing the music of the late thirties and forties, swing a form of jazz.
This title did what I like good books to do, inspired me to learn more about the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. With the bibliography list in the title I will be viewing several documentaries and websites regarding about the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, hopefully somewhere is a recording of their music.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator’s voice reaches out to the reader as though in conversation with phrases like “Of course, they also did things that most kids do today…” Jim Crow, racism, sexism are complex topics especially for the primary grades, but this author has crafted age appropriate explanations. Also – usually you see African Americans getting into trouble with Jim Crow – but it was the white women in the band who had to be careful not to get caught staying and being with their black band-mates. A delightful read and would read aloud easily. The illustrations are helpful, supportive to the reader in making sense of the topic. Wish the author’s note had included a real photo of the band.

[Ginnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book and I believe overall it had a very "cool" tone and feel to it. I loved what it was about, the subject matter definitely caught my attention and held it from the very first page. While the book was a good read, believe me, the author almost left me wanting more at the end. The authors note left me with more curiosity than it did closure, while there are sources listed that I can later seek out, I just wanted a little more to wrap up the book for me. I did however think the pictures really contributed to the coolness and liveliness of the story. A good read and definitely worth the time to pick up.

[Felita · Rating 4 out of 5]

1909 foster care home setup by Dr. Laurence Clifton Jones in Jackson, Mississippi. The girls were permitted to work at the school to earn their keep. Some maintained a garden on the farm; others worked in the kitchen or laundry.

In 1939 Dr. Jones formed an all girls band. The music they played and song was Swing. After leaving Piney Woods, they moved to Washington DC, where they lived as sisters Their dream was to make a living as musicians.

See YouTube videos.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book telling the story of talented women of color?! Sign me up.

I'm a little disappointed that so much of my education about African American musicians has come in my 29th year of life, from children's picture books. The International Sweethearts of Rhythm have a fascinating story! Why have I never heard of them before?

Highly recommended for school and public library collections.

Joe Cepeda's illustrations are, as usual, delightfully cheerful and in-the-moment.

[Kamille Dubose-Coward · Rating 4 out of 5]

swing sisters was a good, interesting book to read. it seems like it took place back in the day, only because of the kind of music was talked about. I lied how the person open a home for African American orphans in Mississippi. these students studied hard for a purpose to be something some day, and that's what I enjoyed about this book. this book also had a lot of real life issues, which is another plus to be personally. also Karen Deans is a great author!

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at a group I'd somehow missed in my music education and jazz band experience! The story is very simple and easy to follow for the young kids, but I just wanted more, more MORE! from this book. Thank goodness for the extra resources at the back of the book; this one is going to have kids asking TONS of questions that aren't answered in the text!

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun--and jazzy!--account of a group of women who formed a jazz band in a time when women just didn't do that. Originally springing out of an orphanage, the group grew and expanded over the years. Back matter has many helpful additional resources. Illustrations are buoyant and in keeping with the spirit of the text and the subject matter.

[Lynne H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An all-girl swing band started in a special school for African American orphans in 1909. As the girls finished school and traveled, they played many places and even changed members from time to time, but they had to work through some racial barriers and sexist barriers along the way.
Really well done!

[Jason Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cool story of a musical sisterhood in very unique circumstances- born in an orphanage, African-American and white musicians during Jim Crow, a WWII tour with the USO... I want to read more about the Swing Sisters.

[Jschofi4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and engaging. A significant contribution to nonfiction picture books looking at women's history and African American history. Some of the body positions and facial expressions in the illustrations are odd which was distracting for me.