Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrated by Sean Qualls. This is a lyrical story of John Coltrane's childhood (born in Hamlet, NC and grew up in High Point). Weatherford lists the sounds that influenced the jazz musician's childhood; "Daddy strumming the ukulele, and Mama cranking the phonograph." Quall's illustrations are a wonderful accompaniment. There is a lengthy Author's Note at the end along with a Selected Listening List and a bibliography for further reading. Could be used with upper elementary students in a jazz unit with Ella Fitzgerald (Pinkney), Duke Ellington (Pinkney), Jazz Baby (Weatherford), John Coltrane's Giant Steps (Raschka), and Jazz on a Saturday Night (Dillon).