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Children’s Books That Introduce Jazz Music

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We have such a rich musical heritage and jazz music is a big part of it!

children's books jazz

I just participated in a fantastic workshop on introducing improvisation and engaging children in creativity in music classes. As a Suzuki trained teacher, I understand the importance of learning by ear and introducing new musical concepts at a very early age. These are ideas that the Suzuki education and the Jazz music share. However, it always interesting to me to see how the same ideas are used in many different methods of teaching and developing music styles.

This experience made me think that exposing kids to the riches of the jazz music can tap into both kids creativity, culture and literacy.

Jazz is one of the most liberated forms of music-making. It is taught by ear, it involves personal touch through improvisation. Every performance is different and very personal due to the improvisation element. The jazz heritage itself is a mixture of so many traditions and ideas. Same as the society we live in.

The same is true for parenting. We all have ideas. They all change as we need to be flexible with the needs of our child. All parenting is an improvisation on the idea of doing the best we can for our child!

Books Introducing Jazz Music to Children Of Different Ages

 

Jazz Books For The Youngest Ones Ages 0+

This is a beatutifully illustrated book that will make your child laugh. It is a wonderful read that introduces kids to one of the masters of Jazz music, Charlie Parker. It also exposes kids to one of the forms of jazz, be bop. You may think… should I wait until my child is older to expose them to concepts such as be bop? Research now tells us that early exposure is crucial to the development of a child. We start reading to children before they can read themselves. We also want to expose them to as much as possible at the early ages. This will give them the base to go back at a later point and learn the same material in more depth. Now imagine your child also being exposed to the the musical vocabulary of be bop music? Wouldn’t it be benefitial for both you and your child to listen to this music while reading about the musician?

This is a book that I highly recommend for toddlers and young readers. It is an interactive book that not only introduces jazz to kids but also helps them to sing and actively use music. The book is a story of Luis Armstrong told with puppets. Very well done and a must for new parents to get.


Jazz Books For The Children in Elementary School

 

This book is an excellent example of developing creativity in young children, using rhythm to teach your child. In this story the main character, Max starts imitating his environment with two simple sticks. Such a great way to start music development! In a previous article we talked about rhythm and developing early literacy.  This is a wonderful book to add to the same ideas when the child is a bit older.
This is a relatively new children’s book that I recommend. It tells the story of a flutist who discovers jazz by playing the wrong notes in orchestra. She meets many new friends and learns how to work as a team member while playing jazz.
I happened to meet the wonderful author of this book last year. She is also an elementary  music teacher and very knowledgeable about kids and teaching them music. You can read an interview with the book author and a more detailed review in my post Jazz and Kids.


Books For the Children in Upper Elementary or Middle School

 

 

Have your read the Who Was series? They are a series of books, each telling the story of historical people. The series is not limited to music. I absolutely love it!  These books are great for both teachers and parents to have. Wonderfully written, they provide lots of factual information delivered in a fun way. As a parent I would invest in purchasingat least a few of these books!  Who Was Louis Armstrong is one of the many wonderful books in the series. The book is a great choice for introducing jazz as well as learning about the life of the great musician.

Want Other Children’s Book Ideas?

See Previous Children’s Book Post

Comments

  4. Thank you for your feedback! Yes, I would very much appreciate sharing the blog with other parents who may be interested!

    Thank you! I am about to check you blog!

    Reply

  6. You had me at "jazz"…I live in the New Orleans area, so jazz and its heritage are practically soaked into everything here…the people, the food, the architecture…it's much more than just a style of music…down here, it's a way of life. These look like a bevy of incredible books to share some of that musical heritage with the younger set. Thanks so much for the share!

    Reply

  7. Oh, I LOVE New Orleans! My husband and I try to go there every other year or so. We love the culture, the food, the music, simply everything!
    Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!

    Reply

  8. The books sounds really fabulous. Such a unique swing on things, lol, thanks so much for joining us on the Kid Lit Blog Hop and for your great book recommendations. Cheers Julie

    Reply

  13. I love these book ideas! It’s not often I find groupings of stories about music together in one handy place. I’m so glad I found your blog through House Full of Bookworms. I would love for you to link up with us at Literacy Musing Mondays #LMMLinkup. Your music inspired literature would bring something unique to the table! http://www.foreverjoyful.net/?p=759

    Reply

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