James, who is visiting me for breakfast this morning to discuss his books and art, rendered this story of an often-overlooked African American figure in rich and colorful mixed media illustrations, several of which are featured below. (“Never before had a man of color entered the palace to perform for royalty!”) Joseph eventually studied music in Paris, became a conductor and composer of his own operas (not to mention quartets, concertos, and ariettas), impressed Mozart himself, and played for King Louis the Sixteenth and Queen Marie Antoinette. This picture book biography tells the story of violinist Joseph Boulogne, the son of a white plantation owner and a black slave in the West Indies, born in 1745. Ransome, Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George (Schwartz & Wade, January 2011), written by Lisa Cline-Ransome (who happens to be James’s wife). “Readers will likely marvel at why such a compelling figure has not received more attention,” writes Publishers Weekly about the subject of one of the latest illustrated titles from James E.
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