Title: Trombone Shorty
Author: Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Published by: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015
Page number: 40 pgs.
Tags: Award Book, Culture, Diversity, Family, Fine Arts, Friendship, Nonfiction, Picture book, Grace Sheley
Genre: Autobiography, Nonfiction
Troy Andrews, also known as “Trombone Shorty,” describes his early childhood and discovering music in his home, New Orleans, Louisiana. He begins his narrative by explaining how music impacts his hometown, explaining his familial connection to music through his big brother and the celebration of Mardis Gras every year. Trombone Shorty recalls being heavily influenced by his brother’s band and desiring to be a part of the band so much that he imagines various instruments he would play. He eventually creates his own band with a few friends, but because of his family’s socioeconomic position, they cannot afford expensive instruments.
Luckily, young Troy Andrews discovers an old, beaten up trombone that someone discarded and treasures the instrument as though all his dreams had come true. Due to the brass instrument’s size and his young, small stature, his older brother deemed him “Trombone Shorty,” and thus providing the title of not only this picture book, but also the Trombone Shorty Foundation that Troy Andrews would later create to assist the musical community in New Orleans. The climax of the story occurs when young Troy Andrews attended the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where Bo Diddley stopped his performance to invite Trombone Shorty up to the stage to play with him.
After creating his own band with same-aged friends, joining his brother’s band, and later touring worldwide, Trombone Shorty makes sure to revisit and play at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when he can. The text of the book is necessary to tell the story; however, the illustrations amplify the narration with warm, popping colors and an interesting modge-podge of both illustrations and photographs or textured clippings from magazines (similar to a scrapbook). On two facing pages, photographs of people are used to assist the text describing Mardis Gras, including what is assumedly a photograph of a young, smiling Troy Andrews in the middle of the left page. The author’s note on the last few pages describes the non-fictional elements of his story again, only more fleshed out and explicitly stating that these events did, in fact, really happen (such as playing with Bo Diddley). The last page includes a brief description of how the author actively supports the preservation of the music community and young musicians in New Orleans through his Trombone Shorty Foundation.
The author’s note on the last few pages describes the non-fictional elements of his story again, only more fleshed out and explicitly stating that these events did, in fact, really happen (such as playing with Bo Diddley). The last page includes a brief description of how the author actively supports the preservation of the music community and young musicians in New Orleans through his Trombone Shorty Foundation.
