Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing: Inspired Generations is a lovely story about how a song written in 1900 to honor 
Abraham Lincoln, connects the past and present historically. It also shows how this song kept one family strong through much trouble and joy.
Kelly Starling Lyons story is sensitive and has spunk. She takes us from 1900 when the song was written and going to be performed by the students of the authors. We see one student practicing whenever she could to be perfect. And we see right on up to when a son or daughter was born and how that song inspired them. We see the family singing as they march with a special man. We see the family proud and singing as another man took the office of President. There is an author’s note included about the history of the song and what it means to her and her family.
If I have one complaint, a few places made it seem that the family we are following was a famous person’s family. First, I thought perhaps this was how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspired. But then I thought it was perhaps President Barack Obamas family. Yet, it is just a family like yours or mine. Therefore, Lyons shows how the “little guy” can be part of great things.
Gorgeous illustrations by Keith Mallett are rich, full of color and life. They have colors that pop off the page and details galore. The times and places are show perfectly and take you along for the ride.