Children's Books--Content Area Themes and Topics: Music

A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner Hailing from the Treme; neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

Young John Coltrane was all ears. And there was a lot to hear growing up in the South in the 1930s: preachers praying, music on the radio, the bustling of the household. These vivid noises shaped John's own sound as a musician. Carole Boston Weatherford and Sean Qualls have composed an amazingly rich hymn to the childhood of jazz legend John Coltrane. Before John Was a Jazz Giant is a 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Melba Doretta Liston loved the sounds of music from as far back as she could remember. As a child, she daydreamed about beats and lyrics, and hummed along with the music from her family's Majestic radio. At age seven, Melba fell in love with a big, shiny trombone, and soon taught herself to play the instrument. Melba went on to become a famed trombone player and arranger, spinning rhythms, harmonies, and melodies into gorgeous songs for all the jazz greats of the twentieth century: Randy Weston, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and Quincy Jones, to name just a few. Brimming with ebullience and the joy of making music, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is a fitting tribute to a trailblazing musician and a great unsung hero of jazz.

She was a beautiful girl who plunged head-first into the world with a song to sing. Born in Birmingham, this child soon learned to make a whole heap of noise on her auntie's piano. Then she discovered her own instrument-a voice full of brass and thunder! And, oh, did she have a song to sing-spirituals, gospels, work songs. She sang joy. She sang sorrow and struggle. She sang triumph. Her songs told stories of America's history. And, with the help of Baby, her guitar, Odetta blazed a musical trail that served as the roadmap for many folksingers who followed in her footsteps.

In this vibrant bilingual picture book biography of musician Tito Puente, readers will dance along to the beat of this mambo king's life. Tito Puente loved banging pots and pans as a child, but what he really dreamed of was having his own band one day. From Spanish Harlem to the Grammy Awards--and all the beats in between--this is the true life story of a boy whose passion for music turned him into the "King of Mambo."

Inspired by the rhythms of American folk music, this moving account of Pete Seeger's life celebrates his legacy, showing kids of every generation that no cause is too small and no obstacle too large if, together, you stand up and sing! Pete Seeger was born with music in his bones. It was plucking banjo strings and singing folk songs that showed Pete how music had the incredible power to bring people together. Using this gift throughout his life, Pete encouraged others to rally behind causes that mattered--fighting for Civil Rights, ending the Vietnam War, or cleaning up the Hudson River. For Pete, no challenge was too great, and what started out as a love for music turned into a lifetime of activism and change. His greatest talent--and greatest passion--would become an unforgettable part of American history.

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule--until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongos. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.

Once a year, Abuelo comes from Mexico to visit his family. He brings his guitar, his music--and his memories. In this story inspired by the life of Apolinar Navarrete Diaz--author Angela Dominguez's grandfather and a successful mariachi musician--Abuelo and his grandchildren sing through the bad times and the good. Lifting their voices and their spirits, they realize that true happiness comes from singing together.

This lyrical, loving picture book from popular singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and debut illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tells the story of the determined, gifted, daring Elizabeth Cotten--one of the most celebrated American folk musicians of all time. By age eleven, Elizabeth Cotten had written "Freight Train," one of the most famous folk songs of the twentieth century.

A collection of traditional Latin American songs and rhymes, in Spanish and English, with the music included.

Children instinctively love to sing and follow along with songs. Authors Paul and Jennifer Swender have collected 50 fun and easy songs in this delightful new book, a virtual songbag of children's favorites. Many will be familiar, some will be brand new to little ears, but all are well-loved. The songs are accompanied by sheet music, fun facts, games, activities, and additional lyrics.

Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O. And on that farm he had a...TRUCK?! With a DIG DIG here and a SCOOP SCOOP there, this classic folk song just got revved up! Beloved machines--the excavator, dump truck, bulldozer, and more--will have the vehicle-obsessed of all ages reading and singing along.

Now in board book ,Every Little Thing brings Bob Marley's beloved song to life for a new generation. Every family will relate to this universal story of a boy who won't let anything get him down, as long as he has the help of three special little birds. Including all the lyrics of the original song plus new verses, this cheerful book will bring a smile to faces of all ages--because every little thing's gonna be all right.