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This Jazz Man



This Jazz Man (book and CD)
by Karen Ehrhardt, illustrated by R. G. Roth
CD Narrated by James "D Train" Williams
Harcourt, 2006. Unpaged. Picture book.
CD, Live Oak Media, 2010.

This Jazz Man won a 2011 Audie award for best audio-book for children, and it is easy to see why. A counting book written to the tune of "This Old Man," This Jazz Man be-bops and tap dances from one through ten, introducing youngsters to Louis Armstrong, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and so on. The background music illustrates the styles of each Jazz Man, and a section at the end reiterates those musical styles as the narrator shares a bit about the life and times of each man. This book/CD combination is a perfect introduction to the great American musical form for youngsters, or for any child who loves music. (Book and CD may be found in the hanging bags by the Juvenile music CDs.)

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