Little Melba and Her Big Trombone

We love, love, LOVE this story. The way it's told is brilliant, as the author subtly weaves in terms and expressions that would have been used during that period of the 1930's. The words sing on the page the same as Melba's trombone.I learned something new from reading this and really enjoyed sharing it with my children who continue to ask for it. The illustrations are fantastic, like a collection of colorful, childlike oil paintings and they perfectly convey the feelings of the main character as she grows and faces new challenges from learning to master her trombone, to moving across the country, to being called names, and finally to facing racial discrimination.By the end of the story you want to cheer for her for never giving up on her one, true passion - her trombone. Melba crossed the lines of race and gender to bring her amazing music to the world. There's a fact page at the back of the book that's perfect for teachers who want to use this in their classrooms or for the curious child who wants to know more. I haven't been this impressed with a non-fiction picture book featuring an African American character since Henry's Freedom Box came out. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is sure to become a classic.

Love a story about the joy of a black girl and it was a true story. It set a positive image and helped children to see the resilience about black culture. It’s a bit long for the age I picked for but would like to work with the book for many times.

Me and my daughter enjoyed this book. Excise it is a biography we were able to look up Melba Liston and put a real person to the story. It’s an encouraging story for girls to follow their dreams.

Katheryn Russell-Brown has written a wonderful book for young children about a great but unsung jazz musician. She brings to life the remarkable story of Melba Liston who started playing the trombone as a young child and went on to play with some of the greatest jazz musicians in American history. The book's afterward includes original photographs of Melba Liston and provides interesting details about her extraordinary life. This book will be enjoyed by family members of all ages.

As an adult musician (trombonist) this is a delightful, inspiring story with wonderful artwork.

Cute story. It’s a little bit long so my 3yo doesn’t have the patience for it but my 5yo enjoys the story. The pictures are really cute too

Wonderful book for my music loving kiddo. Pictures and story are beautiful and I feel so proud everytime my 2 year old requests the story of Melba and her trombone. Thrilled to see people writing children’s stories of important people in our history.

This is an excellent book!A perfect gift for young children. The book gives great examples of how to preservere through challenges and does a great job incorporating historical information in a manner that is easy for kids to digest. The illustrations are captivating.This is a great book for boys and girls of all backgrounds.