Picture book · Nonfiction
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
Katheryn Russell-Brown; illustrated by Frank Morrison
About the book
The story of jazz trombonist and composer Melba Liston, who taught herself to play as a child and went on to tour and arrange music in a male-dominated field.
Reading notes
A lively biography about perseverance; pair it with recordings so children can hear the music. Text and art show the racism Melba faced on tour in the segregated South, including a "whites only" sign.
This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.
Recognition
- ["Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor (2015)"]
Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.
Book details
- Author
- Katheryn Russell-Brown
- Illustrator
- Frank Morrison
- First published
- 2014
- Suggested ages
- Ages 5–9 (editorial estimate — children vary)
- Reading mode
- Best read aloud
- Topics
- music, jazz
- Edition shown
- ISBN 9781600608988 · Lee & Low Books, 2014
- Catalog record
- Open Library work record · edition record
Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.