This story makes a fine companion to the picture book WHEN MARIAN SANG, a book that does not mention the story featured in this book. This book focuses on the relationship between Marian Anderson and Albert Einstein and shows how the two shared their love of music. It also describes how Einstein reached out to Anderson when she could not find lodging after a concert because hotels were for “whites only.” This act of kindness and the resulting bonds of friendship and respect they developed for each other make this book a fine choice to share with children. I only wish that the illustrations of Marian looked more like her.

In this small copy, the author tells us about the encounter between the African-American singer Marian Anderson and the scientist Albert Einstein. After her first white-only concert, Anderson finds herself without a place to stay for the night and Einstein offers her his guest room.

The illustrations are beautiful; Anderson's hair, with that hairstyle with 1920s touches, in the transition to 1930s fashion, was what caught my eye on the cover.

Considering that it is short and that it is aimed at an audience between 5 and 11 years old, it perfectly frames the discrimination and prevailing racism of the time, making two different people come together, for the greater good.

Both children and adults should read this beautiful book, and perhaps, educating the future, we will not make the mistakes of the past again.

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.Einstein was never one to stick to the science.The world-renowned physicist used his platform to advocate loudly for social justice. As a target of anti-Semitism in Germany and abroad between the World Wars, the Jewish scientist was well aware of the harm that discrimination inflicts, and sought to use his platform to speak out against the mistreatment of others.Einstein saw racism as a fundamental stumbling block to freedom. In both his science and his politics, Einstein believed in the need for individual liberty: the ability to follow ideas and life paths without fear of oppression. And he knew from his experiences how easily that freedom could be destroyed in the name of nationalism and patriotism. He invited famous contralto singer Marian Anderson to stay at his home when the singer was refused a room at the Nassau Inn.Anderson was an important figure in the struggle for African-American artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-20th century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The incident placed Anderson in the spotlight of the international community on a level unusual for a classical musician. With the aid of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband President FDR, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the Lincoln Memorial."We must remember that we are more alike than different,that how we act toward one another is as important as anything else we aspire to do."-John Warner

Loved this - introduces ideas of prejudice, segregation, kindness. and personal action in a way kids can digest. Cute art and a happy message. Going to buy a hard copy for my kids!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I'm surprised by the volume of Einstein centred graphic novels out there but the more I know about the man's life (and death) the more I want to know. Wish I could have had access to social justice picture books as a child, this one was quite lovely. They really don't faff around in their conversations about race and the Holocaust, which is refreshing.

This book brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful story about an episode in the history of America, social injustice, and Art. The Singer and the Scientist describes one small act by a great man dedicated to Human Rights. Albert Einstein was not just a great scientist but also a political activist who teaches us a lesson in equality and what it means to be a "mensch" while Marian Anderson teaches us a lesson in humility and forbearance in the face of bigotry. This will make for an interesting and wonderful read with my grandchildren. The illustrations are beautiful, and the message is mature and instructing. I’d like to thank NetGalley, Lerner Publishing Group, and Kar-Ben Publishing for an ARC of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

The Singer and the Scientist tells the untold story of the friendship of Marian Anderson and Albert Einstein. First off, I didn’t know anything about this story going into the book. I found the story endearing and the pictures well suited. I think the writing was nicely done as well. I think this book would be engaging for young and older learners (could stretch to 4th in my opinion). This book would go great with Black History and shares an often understated story from that time period. I loved the author’s notes at the beginning and the end to add context about the friendship and the two as individuals. I would recommend this book. 3.5 stars

This is the story of the friendship between singer Marian Anderson and Albert Einstein. It is beautifully told and the illustrations are wonderful. Truly a hopeful and uplifting book for young readers.

A very visually appealing young reader, detailing what happened when a world-class singer found no room at the inn, due to the hotel being whites-only. Marian Anderson was not known to me at all, and therefore neither was the true story we get here, of her being shepherded back to his home by none other than Albert Einstein, a witness to her concert. There they could bond over music and being victims of racism and persecution, a state Einstein was more vocally and actively against than she was. An incidental little episode of history, perhaps, but a welcome illustration of how the famous and the by-now-forgotten have been able to get together to counter bigotry. Brief two- or three-paragraph pages and great design make this ideal for school libraries' true stories sections. Four and a half stars.

One of the best ways to teach young children about history and encourage healthy discussions about equality across race is through such picture books.
"The Singer and the Scientist" tells the story of Marian Anderson (the famous opera singer with a rich contralto voice) and Albert Einstein (everyone knows him!) In the America of the late 1930s, the talented Marian found a stage for her voice but not a roof for her head. Luckily for her, in the audience happened to be seated Einstein and he offered to take her to his home. What follows is an eye-opening discussion of bigotry within one's own nation, leading to a lifelong friendship.
I loved the story. No two ways about it. The content is presented in such an interesting manner that every child (and even adult) will be hooked.
The artwork is fabulous is well. The illustrations are very attractive, though I wasn't completely happy with the way Marian Anderson has been sketched. She looks too beautified. I wish she had been portrayed as realistically as Einstein. But this is a minor complaint. The book is utterly fabulous in every other respect and I would heartily recommend it to everyone.

Thank you for the review copy.

A touching and sweet story about an unlikely friendship. Based on a real life friendship between singer Marian Anderson and famous scientist Albert Einstein. It’s a great story and the artwork is absolutely adorable. I would highly recommend this book! It’s a sweet read and a really great story to learn!

*Thanks Netgalley and Kar-Ben Publishing ® for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I love picture books that teach children (and adults) a true story from history. What a touching story about an act of kindness that turned into a friendship between two people that had endured discrimination. The writing flows well when read aloud and the illustrations are delightful. This is a great historical picture book to enjoy with the children in your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kar-Ben Publishing for access to this arc.

I have never heard of Marian Anderson, but what a delightful way to learn about her, and her singing, and her friendship with Albert Einstein.

As happened to many Black singers, at the time, in the 1930s, white audiences didn't mind seeing or hearing them perform, but woe be it if they wanted a room for the night.

In this case, it was Albert Einstein who came to the rescue, as he knew about discrimination, and was more than willing to let her come to his home.

I have heard the story about how Elenor Roosevelt quite the DAR in protest when Marian Anderson couldn't sing at constitution hall, but had not heard of this earlier story. What a great little picture book, and what a great way to tell about this sorry point in history.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.