It’s time to start exposing your kids to new sounds! And these wonderful picture books about jazz for kids will do the trick.
Child-focused artists like Laurie Berkner may rule your home, but it doesn’t mean your child won’t be open to learning about other types of music as well.
From an early age, I started exposing my kids to all different types of jazz… and books were the perfect way to do that!
Be sure to check out our other book lists for kids!
You can find these picture books about jazz at your local library or purchase through the affiliate links provided for your convenience.
Read about Jazz While Listening!
There are some amazing books that come with audio CDs that act as the perfect introduction to jazz, as well as some that talk about the jazz greats.
For toddlers (and older), I highly recommend Jazz Fly 2, which introduces children to Latin-influenced jazz as well as some Spanish.
For preschoolers (and older), Ben’s Trumpet uses the sound of jazz to tell the story of a boy who just wants to play the trumpet.
Jazz is an awesome book for Kindergarteners on up, which walks children through poetry accompanied by the whole spectrum of the genre.
In addition, I recommend three books that don’t have audio CDs.
The first is for younger children which visually shows how jazz may look (and is about John Coltrane) called Before John Was a Jazz Giant.
For grade school children, there are two terrific books you can read over and over again: Wynton Marsalis Jazz A B Z and Spirit Seeker: John Contrane’s Musical Journey.
BEST PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT JAZZ FOR CHILDREN
This awaited sequel to the multiple-award winning original Jazz Fly combines witty illustrations, rhythmic narration and irresistible music provided by a jazz quintet.
The jazz-scatting Fly and his insect band need a ride to the tropical pachanga, or dance party. A sloth, spider monkey and macaw can help but only if the band chants the right Spanish words.
Can one part jazz and one part Spanish make a language problem vanish? Find out how the Fly’s creativity saves El Termite Nook from destruction.
Jumping with bongo drums, conga drums, sax solos and more, this spirited–and funny– adventure welcomes listeners to Spanish and Latin jazz.
The story of Ben is fiction, but it could be the story of more than one jazz musician who grew up in the twenties.
Using the art-deco style of the period, Rachel Isadora not only captures the poignancy and yearning of a youthful talent, but in page after page of striking art seems to convey the very sound of music.
One of TIME's 100 Best Children's Books of All Time * Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book
AN INTERACTIVE, SWING-ALONG PICTURE BOOK—WITH 12 SOUND CHIPS!
Are you ready to swing? Discover the wonders of jazz: How to get in the groove, what it means to play a solo, and the joy of singing along in a call-and-response.
In this interactive swing-along picture book with 12 sound chips, you’ll hear the instruments of jazz—the rhythm section with its banjo, drums, and tuba, and the leads, like the clarinet, trumpet, and trombone.
And you’ll hear singers scat, improvising melodies with nonsense syllables like be-bop and doo-we-ah!
Along the way, you’ll learn how this unique African American art form started in New Orleans, and how jazz changed over time as innovative musicians like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday added their own ideas to it.
In a swinging improvisation with poster artist Paul Rogers, Wynton Marsalis celebrates the spirit of twenty-six stellar jazz performers, from Armstrong to Dizzy — and showcases the same number of poetic forms.
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book * Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year
Young John Coltrane was all ears. And there was a lot to hear growing up in the South in the 1930s: preachers praying, music on the radio, the bustling of the household.
These vivid noises shaped John’s own sound as a musician.
Carole Boston Weatherford and Sean Qualls have composed an amazingly rich hymn to the childhood of jazz legend John Coltrane.
A swinging bio of young Ella Fitzgerald, who pushed through the toughest of times to become one of America’s most beloved jazz singers.
When Ella Fitzgerald danced the Lindy Hop on the streets of 1930s Yonkers, passersby said good-bye to their loose change. But for a girl who was orphaned and hungry, with raggedy clothes and often no place to spend the night, small change was not enough.
One amateur night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Ella made a discovery: the dancing beat in her feet could travel up and out of her mouth in a powerful song — and the feeling of being listened to was like a salve to her heart.
The creators of Jazz ABZ are back for an encore!
With infectious rhythm and rhyme, musical master Wynton Marsalis opens kids’ ears to the sounds around us.
Look at this board book and you'll hear Charlie Parker; you'll hear music in your mind.
"Be bop. Fisk, fisk. Lollipop. Boomba, boomba."
Look. That's Charlie swinging and spinning all over the pages.
And that's Charlie's cat, waiting, waiting for him to come home...
Melba Doretta Liston loved the sounds of music from as far back as she could remember.
As a child, she daydreamed about beats and lyrics, and hummed along with the music from her family s Majestic radio.
At age seven, Melba fell in love with a big, shiny trombone, and soon taught herself to play the instrument.
By the time she was a teenager, Melba s extraordinary gift for music led her to the world of jazz.
Overcoming obstacles of race and gender, Melba went on to become a famed trombone player and arranger, spinning rhythms, harmonies, and melodies into gorgeous songs for all the jazz greats of the twentieth century
Another stunning picture book biography of a prominent twentieth-century African-American in the arts, from the creative team behind Alvin Ailey.
Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, where music always floated in the air, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews didn’t always have the money to buy an instrument, but he did have the dream to play music.
This is the story of how he made his dream take flight.
Today, Troy Andrews is a Grammy-nominated musician who tours the world with his band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.
He continues to inspire hope for the next generation in New Orleans and for music lovers everywhere.
As a young musician, Miles Davis heard music everywhere. This biography explores the childhood and early career of a jazz legend as he finds his voice and shapes a new musical sound.
Follow his progression from East St. Louis to rural Arkansas, from Julliard and NYC jazz clubs to the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival.
Rhythmic free verse imbues his story with musicality and gets readers in the groove.
Music teachers and jazz fans will appreciate the beats and details throughout, and Miles’ drive to constantly listen, learn, and create will inspire kids to develop their own voice.
Told in moving prose and powerfully illustrated, this is the story of a shy, curious boy from a deeply religious family who grew up to find solace and inspiration in his own unique approach to both spirituality and music.
Growing up, John was a seeker. He wondered about spirit, and the meaning of life. And whether music could be a key to unlocking those mysteries.
This is a joyful tribute to the virtuoso musician and buoyant personality who introduced much of the world to jazz.
Louis Armstrong has been called the most important improviser in the history of jazz.
Although his New Orleans neighborhood was poor in nearly everything else, it was rich in superb music.
After a run-in with the police, 11-year-old Louis was sent away to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he became a disciplined musician in the school’s revered marching band.
Ultimately, he was to travel the world from Chicago to Paris and would transform jazz through his improvised singing ("scatting") and masterful trumpet playing.
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What a great idea for a book list. Great selection!
Thanks, Jodie. I had fun putting this one together. I’ve always been a jazz lover and wanted my boys to get exposed early 🙂
Thanks for putting this together! This is a very inspiring book list!
These sound like excellent books! I love that some of them have CD’s with them. Thank you for your review.
These are such great books! We love how jazz-focused children’s books often have a sense of rhythm and phrasing can be playful when read aloud. Perfect for adding some musical improvisation!