Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane

I enjoyed the book very much because of how the story progressed. It was a unique approach to start a story about a boy playing a instrument at a point where he was not playing an instrument at all but was listening to music around him. The different characters in the book were involved in music and shared their music with him. The illustrations were amazing and represented the jazz culture very well. The overall message of the book seemed to be that John was able to learn music because he listened first and watched people around him to get a base knowledge. That concept is important for children to learn and the book does a thorough job at representing that.

This is a lovely book regarding young jazz composer John Coltrane. Creatively illustrated and focusing on the musician as a young boy and the things that spoke to him to create incredible music.

This a book describing the childhood of the Jazz Musician John Coltrane. Along with unique and beautiful artwork, this story has a very familiar repeating pattern that kids will enjoy. It talks of the familiar sounds John heard every day in his home and environment and how he associated that into his music. I would definitely put this book into my teaching collection.

I love that this book is mainly about John Coltrane growing up. We often read about the great things people have done, but how did they get there? What were they like as a child? This story provides that information to help children relate more the man, but as a child. The images are amazing and abstract, some look like paintings, and some are more like a collage but they are so vivid and descriptive.

Love the closing line of this book. I don't know much about John Coltrane's biography or music but this one line appears to sum up the influences on his art.

This book whimsically portrays the life of a young John Coltrane before became a famous jazz musician. Through colorful vignettes it shows how he heard the hambones knocking the pots, birds warbling, and his mama playing hymns. The book explains that these sounds he heard growing up influenced him later as a saxophonist.

5Q – the artwork is wonderful and really captures a visual embodiment of Coltrane’s sound. The story is wonderful and filled with words that young readers will love to say just to feel the sounds (hambones, gramophone, etc). The biography of Coltrane in the back is an excellent resource for answering kids’ questions.
4P – this book needs to be displayed for kids to experience its appeal. Adults may seek it out in the young biographies, but kids might not.