Eleanor Davis, Artwork for Make a Pretty Sound—A Story of Ella Jenkins, First Lady of Children’s Music, by Traci N. Todd (Chronicle Books). © 2025 Eleanor Davis.
Special Storytime: Traci N. Todd
Free with Museum admission
Free for Museum Members
Once upon a time, children’s music was just Mother Goose, nursery songs, and lullabies. And then came Ella Jenkins.
Join author Traci N. Todd as she shares her new picture book, Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children’s Music.
Ella Jenkins was an American folk singer and living legend dubbed “The First Lady of Children’s Music.” For nearly 70 years, she wrote and performed music that entertained and engaged generations of young listeners. In Make a Pretty Sound, Ella’s life and legacy are captured in vibrant sights, sounds, and stories that leap right off the page.
In these beautifully illustrated pages, Ella’s journey—from the gritty streets of Chicago to the classrooms where she found her calling to an opportunity to raise her voice for freedom alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., to the spotlight of the world’s stage—is rhythmically, joyfully, brilliantly illuminated. For readers familiar with Ella Jenkins or new to her work, this nonfiction picture book offers a treasury of inspiration that touches on American history, civil rights, cultural awareness, and the incredible power of music.
Book signing to follow program. Can’t make the event? You may reserve signed books online.
