Children's Books about The Blues & Jazz

Arisman, Marshall. 2008. The Cat Who Invented Bebop. Mankato, MN:  Creative Editions.

Burleigh, Robert. 2001. Lookin’ for Bird in the Big City. Illustrated by Marek Los. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle/Harcourt, Inc.

Celenza, Anna Harwell. 2011. Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Illustrated by Don Tate. Waterford, MA: Cahrlesbridge.

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. 2014. Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage As the First Black-and-white Jazz Band in History. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. New York: Holiday House.

de Saulnier, Gia Volterra. 2013. Journey to Jazzland. Illustrated by Emily Zieroth. Hammond, IN: Flying Turtle Publishing.

Dillon, Leo and Diane Dillon. 2007. Jazz on a Saturday Night. New York: Scholastic/Blue Sky.

Dillon, Leo and Diane Dillon. 2002. Rap a Tap Tap: Here’s Bojangles—Think of That! New York: Scholastic/Blue Sky.

Dumont, Jean Francois. 2005. A Blue So Blue. Translated by Michel Bourque. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.

Ehrhardt, Karen. 2006. This Jazz Man. Illustrations by R. G. Roth. New York: Harcourt. 

Fitzgerald, Ella. 2003. A Tisket, A Tasket. Illustrated by Ora Eitan. New York: Philomel.

Golio, Gary. 2012. Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey. Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez. New York: Clarion Books.

Gollub, Matthew. 2000. Jazz Fly 2: The Jungle Pachanga. Illustrated by Karen Hanke. Santa Rosa, CA: Tortuga Press.

Gollub, Matthew. 2000. The Jazz Fly. Illustrated by Karen Hanke.Santa Rosa, CA: Tortuga Press.

Hannah, Jonny. 2005. Hot Jazz Special. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Holiday, Billie. 2004. God Bless The Child. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. New York: HarperCollins.

Hughes, Langston. 1995. The Book of Rhythms. Illustrated by Matt Wawiorka. New York: Oxford Press.

Ignalls, Ann & Maryann Macdonald. 2010. The Little Piano Girl: The Story of Mary Lou Williams, Jazz legend. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. Orlando, FL: HMH Books.

Igus, Toyomi. 2005. i see the rhythm. Illustrated by Michele Wood. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Isadora, Rachel. 1989. Ben’s Trumpet. New York: Scholastic.

Isadora, Rachel. 2002. Bring on that Beat. New York: Putnam.

Karlins, Mark. 1998. Music Over Manhattan. Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. New York: Doubleday.

Kuper, Peter. 2006. Theo And The Blue Note. New York: Viking-Penguin Book.

Lester, Julius. 2001. The Blues Singer: Ten Who Rocked the World. Illustrated by Lisa Cohen. New York: Jump at the Sun.

from Black Cat Bone. Illustrated by Gary Kelley.

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2006. Black Cat Bone. Illustrated by Gary Kelley. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions. 

London, Jonathan. 1996. Hip Cat. Illustrated by Woodleigh Hubbard. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Marsalis, Winton. 2012. Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Illustrated by Paul Rogers. , Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Marsalis, Winton.  2005. Jazz A B Z. Illustrated by Paul Rogers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Mathis, Sharon Bell. 2006. Ray Charles. Illustrated by George Ford. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Miller, William.  2001. Rent Party Jazz. Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Myers, Walter Dean. 2007. Jazz. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday House.

Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. Blues Journey. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday House. 

Myers, Walter Dean. 2001. The Blues of Flat Brown. Illustrated by Nina Laden. New York: Holiday House.

Nelson, Marilyn. 2009. Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All Girl Swing Band in the World. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. NY: Dial.

Novesky, Amy. 2013. Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her. Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Orlando, FL: HMH Books.

Orgill, Roxanne. 2010. Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald.  Illustrated by Sean Qualls. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Orgill, Roxanne. 1997. If I Only Had A Horn: Young Louis Armstrong. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin.

Parker, Robert A. 2008. Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 2002. Ella Fitzgerald, Vocal Virtuosa. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 1998. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Scholastic.

Pinkney, Brian. 1997. Max Found Two Sticks. New York: Aladdin.

Powell, Patricia Hruby. 2014. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. San Francisco, CA Chronicle Books.

Raschka, Chris. 2002.  John Coltrane’s Giant Steps. New York: Scholastic.

Raschka, Chris. 1997. Mysterious Thelonious. New York: Scholastic.

Raschka, Chris. 1992. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. New York: Scholastic.

Roberts, Brenda C. 2004. Jazzy Miz Mozetta. Illustrated by Frank Morison. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Schroeder, Alan. 1999. Satchmo’s Blues. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. New York: Dragonfly Books.

Taylor, Debbie A. 2004. Sweet Music in Harlem. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. New York: Lee & Low.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2014. Sugar Hill: Harlem's Historic Neighborhood.  Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company .

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2009. Before John Was A Jazz Giant. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. New York: Henry Holt & CO.

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2000. The Sound That Jazz Makes. Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. New York: Walker and Co.

Weinstein, Muriel Harris. 2008. When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Wheeler, Lisa. 2007. Jazz Baby. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Orlando, FL: HMH Books.

Winter, Jonah. 2012. Jazz Age Josephine. Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Winter, Jonah. 2006. Dizzy. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.