Trombone Shorty is a short autobiography for children. It tells about Troy Andrew's (AKA Trombone Shorty's) love of music. It follows Troy from a young child through to adulthood, hitting on all of the major events in his musical career, such as his love and inspiration for music, his first instrument, and his experience playing on stage with Bo Didley. This book was listed on ALA's Notable Children's Books of 2016. This book has a good message and eye-catching illustrations. It is meant to inspire children everywhere that hard work and passion can pay off, no matter what background you come from. There are some great details in this book. For example, it was Trombone Shorty's goal to make musical gumbo by throwing together a little bit of all kinds of styles, just like the gumbo they made for supper. I do wish that it was more comprehensive. There was not a lot of detail in some areas. The text was pretty straightforward. I would definitely stay within the suggested target age of 4-8 for this reason. |
As for as in the classroom, I think that there are multiple directions that you could go with this book. It could be used to teach about autobiographies. It could be used on a unit involving music and art. It could be used to talk about the students' passions and hopes for the future. It could be used to discuss careers. It is a very versatile book to use with young readers. The colorful pictures with their own style will help the students to stage engaged. Because it is centered on Troy Andrews as a child, is a book that children would be able to relate to well. I think that this is a good book to have in the children's collection for young readers.
The Details
Title: Trombone Shorty Author: Troy Andrews Illustrator: Bryan Collier Publisher: Harry N. Abrams Copyright: 2015 Age Range: 4-8 | Similar Titles: I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison Drum Dream Girl: One Girl's Courage to Change Music by Margarita Engle When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill |