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Andrea Davis Pinkney celebrates the legacy of a jazz diva in Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa. The illustration on the cover a joyous Ella sailing triumphantly through a starry sky promises riches within, and the book delivers. Separated not into chapters but into tracks, like an LP, the story is narrated by Scat Cat, a cool-looking feline who swings nonchalantly from a streetlamp in a purple zoot suit. The tale begins with Ella as a big-boned, unconventionally pretty, wildly talented girl who dances on street corners in Harlem and finds herself at age 17 at the Apollo Theater, winning over its notoriously tough audience. Scat Cat follows her as she joins Chick Webb’s orchestra, which has a standing gig at the Savoy Ballroom. There’s an absolutely delicious picture of the ballroom filled with ecstatic lindy hopping dancers, including Scat Cat, who’s getting jiggy with a lady in a green plaid dress. Ella’s amazing voice, which some thought too sweet and perfect not raunchy enough for jazz helped Chick’s orchestra beat Benny Goodman in an exhausting, historic five-hour battle of the bands on May 11, 1937. The story follows Ella to Dizzy Gillespie’s band and recounts the maturation of her scat style. Another amazing picture shows the singer with Diz, flying over the moon (How High the Moon was a hit of theirs) with Scat Cat in tow.

Andrea Davis Pinkney writes with a playful knowledge of her subject, and the reader can just hear the voice of Scat Cat one of those low, gravelly, sexy whispers, just purrrfect for the subject. Brian Pinkney’s wonderful drawings are rendered in scratchboard, tinted with transparent luma dyes and painted with purple and green acrylics. Pinkney also did the lush illustrations for Robert D. San Souci’s Cendrillon. Ella Fitzgerald is just as lush, and though it tactfully sidesteps some of the grittier facts of Ella’s life, it’s great for kids and their parents. Arlene McKanic writes from Jamaica, New York.

March marks the 17th celebration of National Women’s History Month, a time of commemoration officially designated by Congress in 1987. In honor of the occasion, BookPage has chosen a trio of new titles that showcase the lives of three legendary ladies who despite tremendous odds made their own special kind of history. The volumes spotlighted below reveal a diverse group of women whose one-of-a-kind achievements serve to inspire us all.

A literary legend Prairie Girl: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson is a touching tribute to a national icon and a wonderful introduction to one of America’s most beloved writers. Anderson, a Wilder historian who has produced a number of adult books about the author, now offers a capsule biography of the famous, feisty little girl who grew up to be an accomplished artist. From life in the Big Woods of Wisconsin to the years in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, Anderson covers all the high points in Wilder’s life, providing background on the experiences that inspired her work, as well as events she never wrote about. Prairie Girl also takes readers beyond the Little House books, offering information about the author’s later years with husband Almanzo and daughter Rose. Written with a simplicity and charm reminiscent of Wilder’s own prose, the book is just right for young readers. Renee Graef’s precisely detailed, expressive illustrations add charm and appeal to a book that’s sure to send students in search of the famous Little House series. Everybody loves Grandma Grandma Moses (Holiday House, $16.95, 32 pages, ISBN 0823415384, ages 4-8) is a charming picture book-biography illustrated in a colorful, rustic style similar to that of its subject. Author Alexandra Wallner, who has written biographies about other famous ladies, including Betsy Ross, Abigail Adams and Beatrix Potter, here offers an accessible, engaging introduction to one of America’s most treasured painters. Born Anna Mary Robertson in 1860 on a farm in New York, Moses grew up in a hard-working environment, but living in the country gave her an appreciation for nature that would later influence her work. A wife and mother who raised five children, she was 67 years old when she first seriously tried her hand at painting, and her homespun pictures have since been exhibited in galleries around the world. Wallner, who also did the illustrations for Grandma Moses, has produced a perfect read-aloud book. This is an endearing little volume that will teach youngsters about rural life during the 1800s and introduce them to the work of a remarkably innovative artist.

Throwing like a girl For the athletically inclined, Mighty Jackie, The Strike-Out Queen (Simon &and Schuster, $16.95, 32 pages, ISBN 0689863292, ages 5-8), by Marissa Moss, is the spirited story of an unlikely sports legend. Tennessee native Jackie Mitchell was a baseball nut as a kid, and she grew up perfecting her pitch even though girls weren’t supposed to play the game. She went on to become a member of a small team called the Chattanooga Lookouts and to make baseball history. On April 2, 1931, at the age of 17, Jackie pitched an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. Far from intimidated by her opponents, when she took to the mound, Jackie struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig quite an accomplishment for a young pitcher! Marissa Moss, author of the popular Amelia’s Notebook series, brings this slice of baseball history to vivid life with her energetic text. Capturing the essence of both the era and the game, the book’s golden-hued paintings, contributed by award-winning illustrator C.F. Payne, make this an extra-special read for sports fans of all ages.

Hungry for a visual feast and oodles of frolicking fun? Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop: A Tale of a Very Greedy Cat by Meilo So will satisfy your appetite. So has adapted an Indian folktale that begins with a parrot and a cat who agree to take turns fixing dinner for each other. The lazy cat lolls in the sun all day and manages to set out only a few grains of rice. The next day, the parrot, bearing no grudge, prepares a feast of 500 beautiful little cakes, keeping only two for himself and giving the rest to the cat. The greedy feline, however, noisily devours everything, including the parrot.

Thus begins a cumulative tale in which the cat eats everything that comes his way an old woman, a farmer and his donkey, a royal wedding procession (including an elephant) and, finally, two little crabs that end up being his downfall.

So spins the story against a delicate beige background on rice paper, which means that her ink and watercolor illustrations stand out brilliantly. The red-and-yellow parrot and the blue-gray cat (who grows fatter and fatter) are vividly depicted, and each element of the story makes a glowing appearance, from the amazing tower of 500 colorful cakes to the wedding procession accompanied by the sultan’s soldiers. These illustrations are stately and fine, yet the story itself is raucous, reminiscent of “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” So keeps the story rapidly rolling along until it concludes in a fast, funny fashion. As the cat gets fuller, lazier and more impudent, the bright-pink, repetitive text also grows bigger that is, until the wise-guy feline makes the dreadful mistake of eating the two crabs. The little creatures save the day, leading the way out of the cat’s belly in a three-page gatefold illustration that shows the long procession of people and animals. In the end, the cat apologizes to the bird, promising never to be greedy again. Knowing that fat, greedy cat, however, one really has to wonder.

<B>There’s no place like home</B> Mark Taylor’s first picture book was inspired by a real-life event. A family friend built and painted a birdhouse to look like an apple, then gave it to Taylor and his family. What a wonderful idea for a birdhouse and a story! <B>The Frog House</B> opens with a father and his two children hanging an apple birdhouse in a tree. Nearby, a little green tree frog watches with curiosity and decides to move into the house. But before long, he’s disturbed by loud pecking. It’s a robin, convinced that the frog house is a real apple. The frog sets the robin straight, suggesting that the bird look for worms in the ground. Soon the frog is knocked from side to side inside his new house. Someone is pushing him around! “I’m a crow, and crows like bright things,” says the frog’s new visitor. This time, the frog gives the crow some colorful red ribbon, and the bird flies off.

By this point, young readers will be eager to learn who the frog’s next visitors will be and how he will manage to keep them from taking or taking over his lovely new home. As for the frog himself, why, he’s never had so much company in his life. It isn’t long before the best visitor of all appears.

Mark Taylor, who has a degree in fishery and wildlife science, makes good use of his background in crafting this appealing tale. Equally delightful are the illustrations by award-winning artist Barbara Garrison, who uses a series of collagraph plates to create a folk-art flavor. A note on how the art was created is included. It’s easy to imagine that, after reading The Frog House, children will be pestering parents to build birdhouses in the shape of apples for their backyards. As a matter of fact, I have just such a birdhouse in my own yard, and as soon as the spring comes, I’m going to peek inside. Maybe mine will be a frog house, too. <I>Deborah Hopkinson’s new picture book for children is</I> A Packet of Seeds, <I>with illustrations by Bethanne Andersen.</I>