How Jelly Roll Morton Invented Jazz - Jonah Winter, Keith Mallett
You’ve got to have either a big head or an amazing talent to claim that you invented an entire musical genre. As author Jonah Winter makes clear, Jelly Roll Morton had both. In How Jelly Roll Morton Invented Jazz (Roaring Brook, $17.99) Winter builds up a story in swinging verse. Illustrator Keith Mallett follows along with a score of hot reds and cool blues that render the colors and moods of jazz with precision. In this picture book, author and illustrator give children a fun look into the history of one of America’s most important musical forms. Ages 6-10. Sharat Buddhavarapu