Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

An autobiographical tale of a young man who started making "musical gumbo" at age 4. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews relates how he grew up in Trem in New Orleans, American's oldest black neighborhood, where he heard music everywhere. Young Troy admires his big brother's trumpet playing and makes music without instruments with his friends. After finding a discarded trombone, the little boy teaches himself to play. Troy narrates: "I was so small that sometimes I fell right overbecause it was so heavy." (Despite Collier's illustrations of young "Shorty," nothing prepares readers for his size in the parade photograph in the backmatter.) When Bo Diddley hears him playing in the crowd at the New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival, the jazz great invites him to the stage. An author's note explains that Troy started a band at age 6 and joined Lenny Kravitz's band at 19. Trombone Shorty Orleans Avenue, his band, tours the world, and Troy shares New Orleans music and culture through his foundation and music academy. Employing his unmistakable mixed-media collage images, Collier portrays the story of this living legend with energy and style, making visible the swirling sounds of jazz. This well-told and exquisitely illustrated story of a musician with a steep career trajectory will inspire young readers to pursue their passions, despite the challenges. (illustrator's note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, concentrates on his younger years: growing up in New Orleans's Tremi neighborhood; making his own instruments before acquiring a trombone; practicing constantly; appearing onstage with Bo Diddley; and finally forming his own successful band. Expressive watercolor collages layer and texture each page, creating a mix of images that echo the combination of styles in Andrews's "musical gumbo. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.