Drawing on a rich verbal tradition, jazz writer Bill Crow has culled stories and amusing quips as well as more detailed anecdotes from interviews, biographies and autobiographies, the remarkable collction of oral histories of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, and his own columns to paint these fascinating portraits of jazz musicians.

Baby and his family make some jazzy music.

The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere "This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty."—Laverne Cox (who plays Sophia in “Orange Is the New Black”) From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz's story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.

Jazz--the music, the look, and the attitude--has fascinated people for most of this century. Hot and Cool takes readers deep into the world of "cool" people and "hot" music with contemporary short stories by some of the world's most celebrated writers exploring the jazz aesthetic.

In this toe-tapping jazz tribute, the traditional "This Old Man" gets a swinging makeover, and some of the era's best musicians take center stage. The tuneful text and vibrant illustrations bop, slide, and shimmy across the page as Satchmo plays one, Bojangles plays two . . . right on down the line to Charles Mingus, who plays nine, plucking strings that sound "divine." Easy on the ear and the eye, this playful introduction to nine jazz giants will teach children to count--and will give them every reason to get up and dance! Includes a brief biography of each musician.

Before John Was a Jazz Giant is a 2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book.