Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher

Delightful illustrations by John Holyfield grace this picture book about the great jazz singer Bessie Smith and her encounter with the Ku Klux Klan while performing in the South. Emmarene, a young girl, tells the story of Bessie's visit to her community in the rural south to perform. While peeking through the tent flap at the performance, Emmarene spots Night Riders coming and rushes in to warn Bessie and the crowd. What happens next is the stuff of legends. Based on a true story, the book concludes with an historical note about Bessie Smith and how she had to travel during the Jim Crow Era. (Bessie Smith and the Night Riders by Sue Stauffacher. Illustrated by John Holyfield. G. P. Putnam and Sons, 2006.)