Before John Was a Jazz Giant
A Song of John Coltrane
Square Fish · Print & ebook · April 5, 2022
A lyrical picture book biography of John Coltrane that focuses on his childhood.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- A lyrical childhood portrait traces the sounds that helped shape John Coltrane’s music.
- Themes
- John Coltrane's childhood, Sounds shaping a musician's style
- Genres
- Musicians' Lives for Kids, Jazz, African American Life (U.S.)
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Musicians' Lives for Kids.
Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!Tonya Bolden46% match
Just a Lucky So and SoLesa Cline-Ransome53% matchAlso shares Jazz and African American Life (U.S.)
This Jazz ManKaren Ehrhardt47% matchAlso shares Jazz and African American Life (U.S.)
Jazz on a Saturday NightLeo Dillon, Diane Dillon55% matchAlso shares Jazz and African American Life (U.S.)
The Story of the SaxophoneLesa Cline-Ransome57% matchAlso shares Jazz
He's Got the Whole World in His HandsKadir Nelson53% match
Joni: the Lyrical Life of Joni MitchellSelina Alko52% match
Who Was Johnny Cash?Jim Gigliotti46% match
For older readers: 3 Shades of Blue, Across Five Aprils, The Jazzmen
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
A lyrical picture book biography of John Coltrane that focuses on his childhood. Young John Coltrane was all ears. And there was a lot to hear, growing up in the south during the 1930s: church songs, preachers praying, music on the radio, and the bustling of the household. John was surrounded by all kinds of vivid noises that shaped his own sound as a musician.
Continue reading
With vibrant words and glowing colors, Carole Boston Weatherford and Sean Qualls compose an amazingly rich hymn to the childhood of jazz legend John Coltrane. Before John Was a Jazz Giant is a 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book and a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Where Sound Begins
A lyrical childhood portrait traces the sounds that helped shape John Coltrane’s music.
Come here for
- Church songs, radio music, and household bustle
- A vivid meeting of jazz history and childhood
Expect
- Vibrant words and glowing colors
- A picture book biography focused on Coltrane’s childhood
Where it sits
| Jazz | 81% |
|---|---|
| Musicians' Lives for Kids | 74% |
| African American Life (U.S.) | 27% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Performers' Biographies for Kids
- African American Life (U.S.)
- Jazz
- Authors
- Carole Boston Weatherford
- Publisher
- Square Fish
- Published
- April 5, 2022
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- John Coltrane's childhood · Sounds shaping a musician's style
- Reading lane
- Performers' Biographies for Kids