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The Story of the Saxophone by Lesa Cline-Ransome

The Story of the Saxophone

Hardcover – Picture Book, March 28, 2023

Lesa Cline-Ransome

Candlewick Press · Hardcover · March 28, 2023

Brassy, smokey, melodious.

Musicians' Lives for KidsJazzInstrumentsbiographies
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Who it’s for
Follow the saxophone from its inventor’s imagination to its place in jazz history.
Themes
Saxophone history, Musical invention, Jazz history
Genres
Instruments, Jazz, Musicians' Lives for Kids

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About this book

Brassy, smokey, melodious. There's nothing like the saxophone. This incredible work from the award-winners behind Before She was Harriet includes a poster of jazz music's greatest talents. You may think that the story of the saxophone begins with Dexter Gordon or Charlie Parker, or on a street corner in New Orleans. It really began in 1840 in Belgium with a young daydreamer named Joseph-Antoine Adolphe Sax—a boy with bad luck but great ideas.

Continue reading

Coretta Scott King Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome unravels the fascinating history of how Adolphe's once reviled instrument was transported across Europe and Mexico to New Orleans. Follow the saxophone's journey from Adolphe's imagination to the pawn shop window where it caught the eye of musician Sidney Bechet and became the iconic symbol of jazz music it is today. Deflty retold, this history is paired with the gorgeous artwork of James E. Ransome, including an attention-grabbing poster of iconic jazz musicians you can find inside the jacket. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

An Instrument’s Journey

Follow the saxophone from its inventor’s imagination to its place in jazz history.

Come here for

  • A lively blend of invention, music history, and visual storytelling
  • A route from Belgium through Europe and Mexico to New Orleans

Expect

  • James E. Ransome’s artwork and a poster of iconic jazz musicians
  • A history centered on Adolphe Sax and the saxophone’s changing fortunes

Where it sits

Musicians' Lives for Kids53%
Jazz48%
Instruments42%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Music History
  • Jazz
  • Instruments
Authors
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Publisher
Candlewick Press
Published
March 28, 2023
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Saxophone history · Musical invention · Jazz history
Reading lane
Music History