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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Growing up in Tremé, a New Orleans neighborhood, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews was surrounded by music. It was in his house as his brother played trumpet, in the streets, in the air all year long, but especially during Mardi Gras. And he loved it. Wanting to create musical “gumbo” of his own, he used homemade instruments and paraded behind his brother before he found a broken trombone. His brother gave him his nickname, and Andrews was still smaller than his trombone when Bo Diddley called him up to play on stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Today the young man is a performer around the world, but he always returns to New Orleans. The musical energy and vibrancy of that city burst from every page of a dynamic picture book written by Andrews and featuring the pulsing images of Bryan Collier. A photo essay at book’s end, also by Andrews, expresses more of his appreciation for the city and people who nurtured him. (Ages 5–9)

CCBC Choices 2016 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2016. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2015
Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, concentrates on his younger years: growing up in New Orleans's Tremi neighborhood; making his own instruments before acquiring a trombone; practicing constantly; appearing onstage with Bo Diddley; and finally forming his own successful band. Expressive watercolor collages layer and texture each page, creating a mix of images that echo the combination of styles in Andrews's "musical gumbo."

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

May 1, 2015
In New Orleans parlance, Where y'at? means hello. As an opening greeting (repeated three times, creating a jazzy beat), it also signals the beginning of this conversational and personable autobiography. Andrews, a.k.a. Trombone Shorty, concentrates on his younger years: growing up in Treme, a neighborhood of New Orleans known for its close-knit community and commitment to music; making his own instruments before acquiring and learning to play the trombone; practicing constantly; appearing onstage with Bo Diddley; and finally forming his own successful band. Collier's expressive watercolor collages layer and texture each page, creating a mix of images that echo the combination of styles Andrews uses to create his own musical gumbo. Strong vertical lines burst from his trombone like powerful sounds, while circular shapes float through the pages like background harmonies spilling out of homes and businesses. Hot colors reflect the New Orleans climate, while serene blues are as cool as the music Trombone Shorty produces. An author's note adds detail to the text; two accompanying photographs of Andrews as a child reinforce the story's authenticity. Collier discusses his artistic symbolism in an illustrator's note. Read this one aloud to capture the sounds and sights of Trombone Shorty's New Orleans. betty carter

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

April 1, 2015

Gr 1-4-"Where y'at?" Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, opens his book with this phrase, letting readers know that it's New Orleans parlance for hello. In this stunning picture book autobiography, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Andrews shares the story of his early years growing up in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. Andrews desperately wished to emulate the musicians in his family and those he saw performing all over his city, so he and his friends made their own instruments out of found materials, played in the streets, and marched with bands. When one day he found a battered, discarded trombone bigger than he was, Andrews finally had a real instrument to play, and he practiced day and night, acquiring the nickname Trombone Shorty from his older brother. The moment Bo Diddley pulled Andrews on stage to play with him during the New Orleans jazz festival was a turning point, and he hasn't stopped performing since. Collier's beautiful watercolor, pen-and-ink, and collage artwork picks up the rhythm and pace of Andrew's storytelling, creating an accompaniment full of motion and color. Each spread offers a visual panoply of texture, perspective, and angles, highlighting the people and the instruments. Andrews's career is still on the rise, his music gaining an ever wider audience, and this title will be an inspiration to many. VERDICT Coupled with a selection of Trombone Shorty's music, this work will make for fun and thoughtful story sharing. A must-have.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

March 15, 2015
Grades 3-5 In this contemporary autobiography, Andrews pays tribute to the New Orleans neighborhood of Treme and the culture and community that propelled him into becoming the Grammy Awardnominated musician he is today. Like other stories of artistic achievement, this is one of determination and passion. Young Troy, nicknamed Trombone Shorty by his brother, forms a band with his friends using homemade instruments, until one day Troy finds a real trombone to call his own. But this story breaks from the motif of individualism to recognize that family, community, mentors, and friends are always part of life's journey. It reminds young readersparticularly boys of colorthat they can follow their dreams and lean on people who will nurture and guide them. Andrews' journey is perfectly complemented by Collier's illustrations. Sharp panels of color and image, perspective that dips and soars, and layers of mixed-media collage unite to feel like renditions of brass band music itself. The author's note fills in the gaps in the story and reaffirms the importance of people and place. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Trombone Shorty Foundation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from February 9, 2015
The streets of New Orleans are filled with music, and so is the house of Troy Andrews, who narrates the story of his growth into the musician known as Trombone Shorty. Troy dreams of having his own band, and when he finds a battered trombone, he knows he's on his way: "It didn't sound perfect, but finally with a real instrument in my hand, I was ready to play." He brings it to a Bo Diddley concert, and Diddley brings him onstage. Andrews shares the culture of Tremé, his New Orleans neighborhood, punctuating his story's high moments with the traditional greeting-"Where y'at?" Collier's (My Country 'Tis of Thee) collaged illustrations give the story even more joyful power. He paints sound with sunbursts of color, the fragrance of gumbo with misty swirls, and Troy's dreams about the future with bubbles that rise from his bed as he sleeps with his arm around his trombone. If a fairy tale were set in New Orleans, this is how it would read. Ages 4—8. Illustrator's agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.)â— 

From Kirkus

Starred review from February 1, 2015
An autobiographical tale of a young man who started making "musical gumbo" at age 4. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews relates how he grew up in Treme in New Orleans, American's oldest black neighborhood, where he heard music everywhere. Young Troy admires his big brother's trumpet playing and makes music without instruments with his friends. After finding a discarded trombone, the little boy teaches himself to play. Troy narrates: "I was so small that sometimes I fell right over...because it was so heavy." (Despite Collier's illustrations of young "Shorty," nothing prepares readers for his size in the parade photograph in the backmatter.) When Bo Diddley hears him playing in the crowd at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the jazz great invites him to the stage. An author's note explains that Troy started a band at age 6 and joined Lenny Kravitz's band at 19. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, his band, tours the world, and Troy shares New Orleans music and culture through his foundation and music academy. Employing his unmistakable mixed-media collage images, Collier portrays the story of this living legend with energy and style, making visible the swirling sounds of jazz. This well-told and exquisitely illustrated story of a musician with a steep career trajectory will inspire young readers to pursue their passions, despite the challenges. (illustrator's note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

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From AudioFile Magazine

Music featuring a single trombone precedes Dion Graham's narration of this picture-book autobiography by "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a New Orleans native and Grammy Award-nominated musician. Then, the first words of the audiobook--"Where y'at?"--greet listeners with an energetic New Orleans welcome. Graham draws listeners of all ages into an experience that's lyrical in word, illustration, and music. His dynamic reading blends with Andrews's words and music to dramatize everything from Shorty's weak initial efforts on the trombone to the crowds who roar with pleasure as he shares the stage with Bo Diddley. Andrews refers to creating "a musical gumbo," and the metaphor represents this audiobook perfectly. There is the richness, variety, and spice of this New Orleans dish in Bryan Collier's mixed-media illustrations, the vocal range of Graham's reading, and the lively music and animated soundscape. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine