It’s February – a month to celebrate Black History, Mardi Gras, and Love. I think today’s Perfect Picture Book celebrates all three!
Title: The Story of the Saxophone
Written By: Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrated By: James E. Ransome
Publisher/Date: Holiday House/2023
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: music, inventions, jazz, non-fiction
Opening:
The story of the saxophone doesn’t begin with Dexter Gordon or Charlie Parker. This story isn’t told by Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. It didn’t start on a New Orleans street corner with Sidney Bechet.
It began in 1814, far, far away, across the seas, in Dinant, Belgium.
Brief Synopsis: The story of the creation of the saxophone and of how the instrument grew in popularity.
Links to Resources:
- Learn more about the saxophone;
- Listen to jazz music;
- Check out the Educator’s Guide.
Why I Like this Book:
I learn so much from picture books, and I especially learned so much reading this one. My husband plays the saxophone, and we routinely listen to jazz music. The musicians cited in the opening lines are familiar names. I thought I knew the saxophone’s story. BUT, I didn’t know that a Belgian instrument maker created it, nor did I realize the circuitous journey it took to become a mainstay of many music genres today.
It’s clear that both Cline-Ransome and Ransome are music afficionados. The text sings. The illustrations move like music. And while the historic details may be more than younger readers will comprehend, the inclusion of kid-friendly facets, like the details of young Adolphe’s life and can-do spirit and the black cat that appears on the cover and in several other spreads, make this a story the entire family will enjoy.
So strike up the band! Find a copy of The Story of the Saxophone. And be sure you don’t miss the awesome endpapers featuring small portraits of famous saxophonists and the bonus poster (under the jacket cover) with short biographies of several jazz greats.
A Note about Craft:
Like Carl and the Meaning of Life, last week’s PPBF feature, The Story of the Saxophone begins by informing readers what that story is not. As with Carl’s story, this piques the reader’s interest, especially those readers who thought they knew something about the saxophone and its origins.
Adolphe Sax envisioned his saxophone as a band instrument. Note how many illustrations throughout the book march across the spreads…like a marching band!
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 