If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong

I like this book.Roxanne Orgill tells the story of a young Louis Armstrong, and what motivated him to begin his odyssey into musicianship. A combination of seeing music as a means to survival and the appreciation that came from living with jazz as a part of his life, Armstrong had a clear path to follow. He had no way of knowing that he would be great, but it's almost as if his drive was somehow akin to his talent. It brought him where he needed to go. Orgill tells the true story poetically; she talks about music "riding in from Lincoln Park on fat molecules of humid air." Orgill alludes to heat often in the narrative, which seems fitting in a story that takes place in New Orleans: "So Louis danced as if the hot blasts of music were show more scorching his bare feet, grinning as wide as the Big Dipper in the starry sky."

Also poetic in the narrative is the repeated refrain of the song that young Louis wrote. Four times in the story the song that he wrote about wishing for a horn:
If I could sing
I could bring
Home pennies
Play slow drag blues
Tap happy feet blues
Till the sun rose
If only I had a horn
It is interesting the way that this story is set up, because the climax is actually Louis finally getting a horn to play, and leading a triumphant second line that gets more instruments for his band. We do not even need to know what happens later in his life. The refrain of his song and the events of his early life culminate in truly finding his path in a real way.

This is a great book for young children. It is a very readable story about a music legend, told in a way that is accessible and interesting, especially for kids who live in New Orleans. It is a history lesson in the details of life in Armstrong's time.

Also of note are the beautiful illustrations.They are true fine art, that would not be out of place on a wall in a house in Uptown New Orleans. They have a collage effect, and vibrant colors. The book was so much richer for this addition to the text.

I enjoyed this book for it's cultural relevance to NOLA life and the story of one of our heroes.I think students would enjoy it and profit from it as well. show less

This short story about Louis Armstrong describes what he had to go through in order to be able to play the cornet. Louis grew up in a poor neighborhood that describes some of the violence and poverty that he had to face. He enjoyed to hear jazz music outside of his house and enjoyed joining the second line. He got into trouble and was sent to a home for troubled boys where he had the desire to join the band. After more than 6 months of waiting, He was finally asked to join the band and was able to begin his famous journey throughout New Orleans. I love how this book allows me to see how long some of the traditions that are still done in New Orleans have been around.

Most biographies jump right into how the person is famous or why they are known, but this book focuses more on the before the story. Telling the life of young Louis and how he was born into poverty and overcame many obstacles of life. As a child, he got into a lot of trouble and was sent off after going to jail for being troublesome in streets with old friends. Someone offered him to join their band and try out instruments. He did not begin on horns because the instructor wanted him to work for it and know that it was not as easy as musicians made it look. He would have to practice and put in lots of work if he wanted to create the horn jazz he loved. It is important that this book discusses the fact you can always turn your life around show more for the better and you choose your own path based on your decisions. It is important to know success takes hard work. show less

This is a book I would highly recommend, especially for those who want their students or children to break into the biography genre. This book allows the reader to get to know a little more about an important American musician as well as get a feel of what New Orleans was like in the early 20th century. While I could categorize this book in the biography genre, the story is still one that will captivate all audiences.

I liked this book for the fact that it teaches a valuable lesson. Louis Armstrong was a young boy that yearned to play the cornet horn. It was all that he thought of when he was growing up. The reason why he wanted to play so bad was to bring home money for his family and to bring joy to people when they hear his music. He wanted to do it for other people and not himself. He knew he had a musical talent and he wanted to share it with everyone.

This how Louis Armstrong had to show a lot of dedication and commitment just to be able to play the horn. This is an outstanding story for kids to feel what it is like to follow a dream.

This was a good story about Louis Armstrong as a young boy. Would be great to share this book with kids when studying famous people or music.