Did you know that April is Jazz Appreciation Month? I only learned about it a few years ago myself. But ever since then, I love featuring jazz music and musicians throughout April. Among other things, it’s a great time to take out some picture books about jazz. I wanted to share three or four of my favorites with you, but I had trouble narrowing it down, so I’m sharing eight of them instead. 😉
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Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
Melba Liston was a fabulous jazz trombonist and composer. I like to use this book with second or third grade, but I probably wouldn’t go lower than that. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone tells Liston’s life story, from birth through the height of her fame. I like to show this video beforehand, so that the kids can see her perform a solo. Usually this book leads to great conversations about the work it takes to learn an instrument, as well as all the barriers that she had to break as a Black woman during her time.
Jazz on a Saturday Night
Jazz on a Saturday Night is about a fictional concert of several jazz legends. The rhyming, the illustrations, and the musicians featured make this book a great one for second grade. I like to pause on each page to share a performance from the featured jazz great. At the end, students can think-pair-share their favorite musician they saw and heard.
This Jazz Man
This Jazz Man is another great children’s book about a fictional concert of famous jazz musicians, like Jazz on a Saturday Night. An interesting twist in this book, though, is that it can be sung to the tune of “This Old Man.” I like to sing this book to my first graders as we listen to these stars, like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Also after using this book for the better part of a decade, a student pointed out this year that there’s a cute little mouse hidden on each page. The kids had so much fun looking for the mouse each time.
Piano Starts Here
In my opinion, Art Tatum isn’t celebrated enough. Piano Starts Here begins with Art Tatum’s birth in Toledo, OH, and goes to when he became a successful performer. The book talks of his visual impairment, and the students are always impressed that he was still able to play and tour. This can lead to a great discussion about how people with disabilities can still do amazing things. After reading, we listen to Tatum’s music while coloring the Art Tatum coloring page from this resource.
Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Whomp!
Written by the great Wynton Marsalis, Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! is a music class gem. Best for Kindergarten and First Grade, this book is more loosely tied to jazz. The story focuses on the sounds around us, with plenty of fun sounds for the kids to join in on. I think this book is a great way to introduce scat-singing. After reading the book and imitating all of the sounds, you can talk about how scat-singing is imitating instrument sounds with your voice. Kids can watch a demonstration like this video, and then they can try creating their own patterns of sounds.
Mister and Lady Day
Mister and Lady Day is an adorable book for Kindergarten or First Grade. As a dog lover, this book melts my heart. Apparently Billie Holiday loved dogs as well, especially her Boxer named Mister. When Billie has to go to jail (the book simply says she had to go away for a year), she worries that Mister- and her fans- will forget her. This book is great for introducing Billie Holiday as well as for focusing on SEL. Students get the message that it’s okay to be nervous, but know that your loved ones will always cheer you on. Also, the scrapbook-style illustrations are amazing. 🙂
Once Upon a Time in Chicago
Once Upon a Time in Chicago is about the “King of Swing,” Benny Goodman. A young son of immigrants was able to create a life for himself with his clarinet. I like featuring this book in third grade when discussing my favorite subgenera of jazz: swing music. We watch a performance of “Sing, Sing, Sing,” as well as an example of swing dancing. Then, we can try a few basic moves as a class.
The Little Piano Girl
The Little Piano Girl tells the story of Mary Lou Williams, jazz pianist and composer. Mary Lou had a tough childhood, but she found comfort in playing the piano. I like to have students think-pair-share what activities they do that bring them comfort. We also get to learn about organs, player pianos, and victrolas, which are all mentioned in the book. The kids love watching this video demonstration of a player piano, too.
Bonus Ideas
- I briefly mentioned this earlier in this post, but I like to use my Jazz Musicians coloring sheets while listening to music from that musician.
- Nina, a book about Nina Simone, is another excellent book I recommend. To learn more about this book, read this blog post.
- I have added a new free resource to the Freebie Library just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month. If you’re familiar with my Music and Movement Cards, this set is a new free edition focused on jazz musicians. To gain access to the jazz music and movement cards and everything else in the Freebie Library, sign up here.
Happy teaching!
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