This Jazz Man

by Karen Ehrhardt

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.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Childrens, Storytime, Jazz, African American, Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

Karen Ehrhardt doesn’t play an instrument and can’t sing a lick. But she’s probably listening to music right now at her home in the California redwoods, with her husband, their bouncing baby boy, and their dog.

Karen does assemblies for Preschool, and Kindergarten through 6th grade. Karen does writing workshops with students in grades 3-6. Karen is available to travel to schools throughout California and the U.S. Please contact Connecting Authors for specific dates (866-528-9269 - www.connectingauthors.com).

Karen's most recent mention in Publisher's Weekly :
"Jazzed About Reading - Every student at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Oakland, Calif...received an early holiday present a few weeks ago: a signed copy of This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt, illustrated by R.G. Roth (Harcourt). The event was Ehrhardt's second at the school: earlier this past fall, she led workshops and read to students.... The books were provided by Bring Me a Book, a local nonprofit organization."

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't just a book - it's a fun experience! Usually the CD can be skipped and the book is still enjoyable, and I'm sure this one could be too. You'd just be missing out on so much wonderfulness. The CD more than just compliments the book, it gives you an entire lesson on the various instruments and jazz sounds. So don't short yourself, put the CD in and enjoy!

Each page goes over a famous jazz musician too so your children will be able to recognize their names if/when they pop up in conversation.

Ages: 4 - 10

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[orangerful · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing that would make this better is if it came with an audio bonus that had all the instrument sounds. Or even a mp3 of the melody using jazz instruments. I'm already plotting finding a way to get the high school jazz band to visit and maybe use them in a storytime...

but even without that, this is a really fun book. Sing it to the melody of "This Old Man" and have fun with it. I did it with the toddlers today and we counted every time we turned the page and then acted out the instrument. Another librarian did it with preschool age and it was also a big hit. So this one is staying on the storytime shelf.

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the mother of two jazz bassists, this book just made me smile. I gave copies to both of my grown sons, proof that a picture book is not just for kids. The jazzy text is a perfect match with the jazzy art.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Ehrhardt's This Jazz Man is a fun picture book that adapts the classic song "This Old Man." This is the kind of premise that could go either way--be really, really good and clever, or be really, really bad. In my opinion, This Jazz Man is successful in its attempt to make this song swing. Like all jazz books should, it starts with Louis Armstrong.

This jazz man, he plays one,
He plays rhythm with his thumb,
With a snap! snap! snazzy-snap!
Give the man a hand,
This jazz man scats with the band.

Of course it continues counting through the jazz band.

This jazz man, he plays nine,
He plucks strings that sound divine,
With a thimp-thump! Dumple-thump!
Give the man a hand,
This jazz man jams with the band.

What the book doesn't make obvious from the get go is the fact that each number pays tribute to a jazz legend--that big reveal comes at the end of the book. 2 is Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. 3 is Luciano "Chano" Pozo y Gonzalez. 4 is Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. 5 is Charlie "Bird" Parker. 6 is Art "Bu" Blakey. 7 is John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie. 8 is "Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller. 9 is Charles "Baron" Mingus. Together these make for one great band...

The illustrations are by R.G. Roth. The book would be great for showing onomatopoeias--snap, bippity-bop, bomp, doodly-doot, etc. And for introducing jazz vocabulary--scats, jams, stomps, pounds, blows, beats, wails, swings, etc. But even if you're not looking to use the book in a classroom (or home school setting), the book is just fun--delightful even. I loved it.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

[Caroline Beunier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written to the tune of nursery rhyme “This Old Man,” this super funky picture book showcases infamous jazz musicians of color. The author uses rhythm, rhyme, and repetition to individually introduce the ten men in the band. The illustrator expressively uses movement, color, and various text sizes to spell out the sounds of the ten instruments. The last couple of pages include a brief biography of each musician. CBC Diversity has recognized this book for its multiculturality, but it has not been awarded any formal honors yet. I will say that it captivated my three-year-old daughter’s full attention (rare!) when I read it to her. She really enjoyed recognizing the connection to the song "This Old Man," identifying numbers, and listening to the sounds of the rhythm. Kindergarten or first graders will be interested in this book because it is a fun read that is not super challenging. It also makes you want to dance, and young children love any excuse to move. Teachers can make many connections with this book to teach numbers, counting, rhyme, repetition, music, history, art, and many others!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for any child, jazz lover or not. In fact, it is really two books in one. The first is a jazzy recasting of that familiar childhood tune "This Old Man" with the eponymous geezer replaced by the great men of Jazz: Armstrong scats, Bojangles taps, and Mingus is among us. Kids will love Ehrhardt's textual rendering of musical sounds that stand in for the non-sensical "knick knack paddywhack," and be mesmerized by Roth's perfectly paired illustrations (which feature a fun game of 'find the jazz mouse' to boot.)
The second book here is the biographical sketches presented as the encore to the joyous rhyming beginning. Ehrhardt has a knack for finding interesting biographical facts of these men who changed the way we listen to music.
Bravo!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book recreates the children's song "This Old Man" to introduce jazz legends. The text flows well with the tune, and includes fun onomatopoeia and jazz vocabulary. It's not immediately obvious that the men in the book are historical figures, but the backmatter shares information about each man and what he was famous for.

Update: I read this for a music and movement storytime, and it was great! I was nervous about singing with no accompaniment, but it went fine, and the kids and adults seemed to enjoy this. A preschool group came, and those kids started playing pretend instruments in the air and making the noises, without any prompting from me. It was so fun. I really enjoyed sharing this, and it was perfect for February's extra emphasis on Black representation.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really fun book to read with children. written to the rhythm of 'this old man', it's verses pay tribute to some of the greatest jazz musicians, including louie armstrong, charlie parker, etc. at the end of the story there are short bios on each musician -- great for kids that want to know these guys a little better.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh, this book made me what to rap and tap and beedle-di-bop! Which is quite somethin', since I don't have a musical bone in my body!
This is a great book-the text jives off the page and the illustrations thimp dumple thump right along. What a great way to teach kids about jazz legends!
Hats off to Ehrdhardt and Roth for a beautiful book!
Encore!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I stumbled upon a read aloud of this on YouTube and the reader was singing this instead of reading it and it made it SO much better than if I was just reading it on my own. BUT I know kids would really enjoy this and sing it over and over. And then ending pages have information on each REAL LIFE jazz musician.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on "This old man." More about the famous people appearing in the story is presented in the back

[Kelly Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Well-written rhymes with a side of musical education.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, if I were good at writing jazz charts for a band, I'd want to see to it that these "alternate words" to the children's song 'This Old Man' were accompanied by a kicking jazz combo! What fun! It makes you want to run out and teach these new words to everyone you know. And the pictures are darling.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My preschool kids love this book. It's catchy, jazzy and fun! A great read-aloud.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booklist (November 15, 2006 (Vol. 103, No. 6))

Ehrhardt moves the traditional counting chant "This Old Man"to the jazz club in this infectious, rhythmic offering. Each page features a different jazz musician who plays "rhythm with his thumb,"makes "music with his shoes,"and so on. The rhyming text scans with a smooth, toe-tapping tempo that's nicely extended by the colorful, mixed-media images, arranged in compositions that have their own staccato beat. Bars of striped color slide across page edges, and stylized African American musicians, rendered in geometric shapes and textured prints, send up "notes that rise to heaven."Children will want to shout along with the scat-cat rhythms ("Beedle-di-Bop! Bebop!") that replace the original chant's "paddy-whack"refrain and are printed in colorful letters that punctuate the artwork. This will appeal most to preschoolers and kindergarteners, but older children will appreciate the closing section, which reveals that the featured musicians represent real-life jazz legends, including Charles Mingus and Charlie Parker. A short biography of each is appended. A welcome introduction to the world of jazz.



Horn Book (Spring 2007)

Ehrhardt riffs on "This Old Man," composing a new verse for each of nine jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong and Charles Mingus ("This jazz man, he plays nine, / He plucks strings that sound divine"). Lively verbs and onomatopoeia contribute to the jazz rhythm, and the pastel mixed-media collage illustrations suit the subject. An afterword gives additional information about each player.



Kirkus Reviews (October 15, 2006)

Ehrhardt offers her version of the classic song, "This Old Man," with a few surprises. Ten two-page spreads update the sing-along favorite, each of the first nine devoted to a different jazz legend, from Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong to Charlie "Bird" Parker to John Burks "Dizzy" Gillespie to Charles Mingus and others. (On number ten, naturally, they jam.) In addition to the revision of the verses themselves-"He plays solo with his sticks / With a bomp-bomp! Bubbuda-bomp!" for example-additional scat phrases dance across the pages in a riot of color. Brief, concise biographies of the nine jazz men are a bonus surprise at the end (although they won't be accessible to the very young target audience). Roth's illustrations, in mixed-media collage and printmaking on watercolor paper, fill the pages with interesting shapes and multiple colors. His nifty patterned outfits for the jazz men get prime exposure when they take a bow after their jam session. Slight but snappy. (Picture book. 3-6)



Library Media Connection (March 2007)

Nine famous jazz musicians are celebrated in this lively picture book. The text is an adaptation of the traditional children's song, "This old man, he plays one . . ." Number One, Louis Armstrong, is followed by Number Two, the jazz dancer Bojangles, who "makes music with his shoes," and so on until the last verse: "These Jazz Men, they play ten, We beg them to play again . . ." For each verse, a different player takes the spotlight. At the back of the book the musicians are identified by name with a brief history of each one. The text is upbeat and so are the pictures. R. G. Roth employs collage and printmaking in pastels that verge on neon. Each jazz great wears a unique suit-plaids and polka dots predominating-and sashays around in pointy shoes. Floating in the air over their heads, like improvised sounds, are nonsense words that suggest the music, for example, "thimp, thump," and "Beee- diddly-doo-ah." The book lends itself to reading aloud and to group participation. The songs could be acted out in the lower grades, the music classroom, or on poetry night. Recommended. Joan Kimball, Librarian, Writer, Storyteller, Concord, Massachusetts



Publishers Weekly (October 23, 2006)

Setting her ode to nine jazz giants to the rhythm of "This Old Man," newcomer Ehrhardt playfully substitutes the onomatopoeic sounds of their instruments (or Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's tapping feet) for the standard "knick knack paddy-whack" refrain. Drummer Art "Bu" Blakey, for example, is the jazz man who plays six: "He plays solos with his sticks,/ With a bomp-bomp! Bubbuda-bomp!/ Give the man a hand,/ This jazz man beats with the band." In each energized mixed-media spread, Roth, also making his children's book debut, features a figure-Dizzy, Bird and Satchmo among them-in dapper mismatched clothing, swinging against white backgrounds bordered in cheerful stripes styled like awnings and bandstands. Roth's painted display type cavorts across the spreads, extending each verse's third line with more syncopated syllables. Performers are not identified until the endnotes, which pair brief bios with spot illustrations. Other jazz-themed children's books go into more detail, but the candy-colored collages burst from the pages, making this addition just right as an uptempo introduction for youngest music lovers. Ages 3-7. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.



School Library Journal (December 1, 2006)

Gr 1-5-Using a lively version of the children's song "This Old Man," this book introduces famous African-American jazz musicians as it counts to nine. Louis Armstrong is number 1. "This jazz man, he plays one,/He plays rhythm with his thumb,/With a Snap! Snap! Snazzy-snap!/Give the man a hand,/This jazz man scats with the band." The illustrations give clues to the performers, and the end matter has a biographical sketch for each one. In the final spread, all of the musicians are together, taking bows: "These jazz men make one great band!" The energetic collage illustrations introduce the action by picturing bold striped curtains encompassing an empty stage set up with jazz instruments; each performer's subsequent spread has striped borders. Onomatopoeic words spill across the pages in imitation of the music's sounds. The book is fun for jazz aficionados and neophytes alike. Children will enjoy the sounds and illustrations and sing along without needing to know more.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

[Javon Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book This Jazz Man, is the funnest poetry read aloud! I felt like I was part of the jazz man band through the story and enjoyed reading it through several times. Not only does this book incorporate rhythm and rhyme, but encourages counting and number recognition. The pages are filled with "scat singing" and can be used to teach students about the history of jazz music. The whole class will enjoy practicing scat and rhyme together through this groovy read! Additionally, there is a CD provide with the book to teach students how to sing and scat through the pages.

Bonus! I love that the history of famous jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Bill Robinson, Duke Ellington, and Charlie "Bird" Parker, are found in short, kid friendly paragraphs in the back of the book. Each section describes where the artist came from and their impact of jazz history.

I chose to read this book because I took a course on Jazz history and loved it and thought this book would be a great option to help introduce young readers to jazz and jazz history. This book is a great option for grades 1-5 because it incorporates simple rhyme, "scat vocabulary", and informational text in the back.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, honoring Jazz Legends

Beautiful pictures highlight 9 jazz legends. Both the audio version which includes live musicians accompanying the narrator, and the picture book are worth the time to explore.

The tune that glues all the story is the familiar children’s rhyme, “This old man”

Louis Armstrong, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Luciano Pozo, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey are the divine 9, who get a page and a rhyme.

The first part of the book is a rhyming picture book.The last part of the book, has a paragraph of historical information on each jazz musician and one of their contributions to jazz music.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the "This Old Man" children's song, "This Jazz Man" is a lively intro to nine famous jazz musicians. The text counts up from 1 to 10, just like in the original song. Although this may not be the best book for a child trying to learn to count, it would be a fun one for those who already know 1-10, and even more fun to set to music. I love that scat (making jazz melodies with your voice, such as "Bippity-bop! Poppity-pop!") was also worked into the text. Short biographies are included for each musician.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The identities of the nine men aren't revealed until the end notes (which are brief biographies of them all). If you know a bit about jazz, you can guess at least a few, though.

The book is to the "tune" of "This Old Man." As in the original song, the numbers are pretty irrelevant, despite being highlighted in the text. There's nothing that ties into the numbers, even in the illustrations. The most confusing case of this is that the 10 page shows the 9 men.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a musician and absolutely had to check out this book from the library after my daughter heard it at story time. You can read it along to the tune of "This Old Man". My only slight complaint is that the numbers don't really tie into the story (there are more than 3 congas for the third musician), but I love a good counting book anyway. The book also has further info about the musicians in the back, and would be a great read for Jazz Appreciation Month in April!

[Krista Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Jazz Man is a story is a tribute to jazz players who have played different jazz instruments throughout the years. This work of nonfiction incorporates counting, has some great sounds, and vibrant illustrations. It would be great for k-1st graders and could be used in a reading classroom to promote fluency.

[Jocelyn Brame · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent counting book featuring some of the greatest jazz musicians. Engaging illustrations and great scatting. There's also a mouse children can find on every page. Wonderful historical notes in the back about each musician. Highly recommended for children ages 3-6.

[Ms. Shoshana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing wrong with this, I'm just not a sufficiently talented singer to make this jazzy; it just comes out like regular This Old Man. Also, the illustrations aren't very bright. Nice end pages about the jazz stars referenced, though!

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book and I don't even like jazz. Perfect for the Summer Library Program this summer, Libraries Rock, it's fun, upbeat, and lovely to look at. There's even a mini-bio in the back of the book of each of the nine men featured in the story.

[Erin Donaldson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the mixed media art on each page and the great counting rhyme that highlights a Jazz great; Louis Armstrong, Bojangles, Duke Ellington, Chano Pozo y Gonzalez, Bird Parker, Bu Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Waller, and Baron Mingus "This jazz man, he plays 1...". Great sound words and so fun!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could be great for math since it counts the different members of the band and integration of music will be included throughout the lesson as well.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about this book is great. The illustrations, the story, the rhythm, the scat... all of it. Also provides just enough non-fiction info after the story.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a huge favorite with my toddler. We love books that can be sung to those familiar nursery and folk song tunes, and this one also introduces nine jazz musicians!

[Adynah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun!

[Gwen Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun jazzy version of "This Old Man." The pictures and jazz theme are exciting - opportunities for interaction.