John Coltrane's Giant Steps

We really liked reading John Coltrane's Giant Steps. We want to read it again and again. The pictures look very cool. We like the way that the illustrator created all the shapes like the box, the snowflake, and the raindrops. We also like the words that the author uses to describe the music. Our favorite part was when the director tells the shapes and the kitten what they did wrong. Listening to the music really helped us understand the book. Some of us wish that the author had given us the cd with the book. Others of us think it was great the way it was! Chris Raschka writes good books!

I love this book because you can "hear" Chris Raschka's enthusiasm to share the extraordinary sound of Coltrane with readers. You need not ever have heard of Coltrane before but once you read this book to a child you'll want to hear exactly what the artist himself described as "sheets of sound." Raschka's watercolor illustrations are a metaphor for the layers of harmonies and rhythms of music. I loved the little quips that are delightful plays on words like: "remixed by Chris Raschka" and a conductor's reprisal: "First of all, raindrops, you were rushing on page 19". Clever, cute and Coltrane.

"Good evening. And thank you for coming to our book. We have something very special for you tonight. It's John Coltrane's marvelous and tricky composition, "Giant Steps," performed for you by a box, a snowflake, some raindrops, and a kitten..." So begins the conductor's introduction to Chris Raschka's brilliant visual jazz rendition of Giant Steps. First he explains a little about who John Coltrane is, and how his music was composed, "...[he] wrote music which, in his hands, became swirling, leaping, tumbling "sheets of sound." That's what he called it. But why tell you when we can show you?" Then the composition begins with the raindrops, the tempo, "not too fast and not too slow." Next he layers the box, the base, "...the bottom. It's something to build on." Here comes the snowflake, the piano, "showing us the harmony, the beautiful frame." And last, the kitten, the melody, "watch her take some giant steps across the page." As Mr Raschka "conducts", problems begin to occur, the shapes and colors collapse, and he finally yells STOP! "People, people! What happened? Okay, okay, let's take a look at some trouble spots." After detailing when, where and how each shape went wrong, and giving constructive directions, the composition begins again. "Let's take it from page 14. Raindrop, box, snowflake, kitten. GO. Sheets of color. Sheets of sound. Bravo. Bravo, everyone." Mr Raschka's entertaining text, written in an engaging, conversational style, is informative and enlightening. His layering of shapes and colors provides a clever and creative visual understanding of jazz and John Coltrane's "sheets of sound." Together word and art dazzles, Giant Steps comes to life on the page, and imaginations soar. Perfect for youngsters 6-10, John Coltrane's Giant Steps is Chris Raschka at his very best, and is an innovative and inventive introduction to understanding jazz, no young music lover should miss.

This book is really something! It's unlike any other book I've ever read. It is not just a book -- it is an experience. What a creative mind Chris Raschka has! My 4 year old and my 7 year old both loved it. So did I. I highly recommend it.