Value of Laughter: The Story of Lucille Ball

In this installment of the ValueTales series, Ann Donegan Johnson helps us appreciate the comedic talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989). The book tells us about a little girl named Lucy who loved to watch plays, movies and vaudeville acts. As she watched she learned about how entertainers make people laugh. She began telling and acting out stories to make her family laugh. As she grew up, Lucy took acting lessons and prepared for a career as a comedienne. She even dyed her hair bright red to be noticed at auditions. Lucy succeeded as an actress and then became the first woman to head a movie studio. Lucy has taught millions of people how to chase sadness away with laughter. Like other books in the ValueTales series, this book uses a real-life person to exemplify an important value. It is suitable for reading by children in the later elementary school grades. A "Historical Facts" section at the book's end summarizes Lucy Ball's life in a single-page bio form suitable for adults. Closing quote: "Lucy had a joke for any situation, no matter how grim. Like the vaudevillians she had watched at Celeron Park years before, Lucy turned tears into laughter by looking at the world funny-side up." (p. 61)