"Using simple, reductive prose, this appreciation of jazz great Holiday focuses on the dogs in the singer’s life.

“Lady Day’s dogs were her best friends of all.” Novesky supports this assertion with evidence: a pocket-sized poodle, a beagle, Chihuahuas; a mutt called Rajah Ravoy. But the spotlight’s on Mister, Holiday’s elegant, devoted boxer, who went to gigs, dined on steaks and even wore a mink coat. While an author’s note provides background, the text is resolutely oblique on the subject of Holiday’s 1947 drug conviction and jail time. “[J]ust when her career was at the top, Lady got into trouble. She had to leave home for a year and a day. And Mister couldn’t come.” While much of the narrative is fact-based, Novesky does take an acknowledged liberty in speculating that Mister might have attended Billie’s successful post-prison show at Carnegie Hall. (Illustrator Newton places Mister there, on the final spread.) Newton’s appealing mixed-media pictures, containing elements of gouache, charcoal, collage and digital layering, range from images derived from concert photos to a playful imagining of napkin-draped Mister drooling over a steak. Her reliance on period photos has one drawback: Holiday’s face and physique alter in several spreads, belying the compressed, undated narrative arc.

By highlighting Lady Day’s affectionate relationship with Mister, Novesky and Newton invite readers to admire the illustrious singer in a sparkling new light. (author’s note, website, adult bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)" www.kirkusreviews.com

Although this is a sweet story, the book alludes to a lot of issues in Billie Holiday's life that might be too heavy for kids (drug abuse, imprisonment, rape, and alcoholism). But the context is important, as the book mentions that Holiday "didn't feel a thing" and that once she had to go away for "a year and a day" (referring to the year she spent in jail for drug use). Without the context, the story is vague and perhaps won't resonate with readers who don't know the backstory.

a story about Lady and her dog Miister. Lady is a singer and Mister is always by her side. one day Lady has to leave Mister but she comes back to him. they live together for the rest of their lives.
1 book

I really liked this story because the characters were well developed and the reader got a good sense of the bond between Lady Day and her dog, Mister. I love the description of the friendship the main character shared with her dog. The book described how she made the dog a sweater, took the dog to her shows, and made the dog big steak meals. I also really liked the illustrations throughout the story, they were detailed and bright and colorful enhancing the story. I liked how the dog throughout the story had different expressions showing how much the dog loved its owner and loved being around her. When the main character returned after being away for a year, the dog was illustrated as happy as can be jumping on his owner. I think the main idea of this story is to show Billie Holiday's love for music and her dogs, and also the importance of friendship, even between a person and their dog. ( )

There are two reasons I liked this booked. I like this book because of the language and the placement of the text. The language was simple, concise, and descriptive. When the author was describing when Billie Holiday had to go to jail she put it into simple terms. “Then, just when her career was at the top, Lady got into trouble. She had to leave home for a year and a day.” This sentence clearly states she went away from doing a crime but in terms children can comprehend. The text is visually fun to look at. When every Lady would sing the author would change the font, color, and placement. For example, when Lady was singing “Sugar, I call my baby my sugar”, the font was larger, the author used different colors such as red, purple, green, and orange, and the words were curved. The main message of this story is that animals are more than just pets, you share a lifelong bond with them. ( )