The Jazz Fly [Unbound]

Matthew Gollub (Author), Karen Hanke (Author)

Product Details

• Unbound
• Publisher: Tortuga Press (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889910198
• ISBN-13: 978-1889910192
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,053,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matthew Gollub is a children's author, speaker, storyteller and musician. He has created 15 picture books which together have garnered 25 national awards and distinctions. His musical narrations on audio CD--set to jazz, Latin jazz or rhythm and blues combos--accompany some of his most popular books. (Yes, that's also him playing drums behind his vocals.) He delights in introducing rhythmic sounds to kids while engaging their imaginations with stories. His idea of a successful children's book with audio is one that kids, and grown-ups, can savor time and again.

Kudos for Gollub's latest title, "Jazz Fly 2: The Jungle Pachanga", include: Foreword Reviews Best Books of the Year Gold Award Winner; USA Book News Best Books 2010 Award Winner; International Book Awards Winner; Parents' Choice Award; Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Medal.

Acclaim for the original "Jazz Fly," his all-time bestselling title, includes: Writer's Digest National Self-Published Book Award; America's #1 Recommended Children's Book, Children's Book Sense 76; Benjamin Franklin Award for Children's Book with Audio; Smithsonian's Notable Books for Children; California Department of Education Suggested Reading; San Francisco Chronicle Editors' Picks.

"Gobble, Quack, Moon," loosely based on the author's family as he grew up, likewise received a Benjamin Franklin Award and was a Top 10 Book Sense selection among independent booksellers nationwide. This title enjoys a further distinction in that the author's mother has named it her favorite book!

A dynamic, bilingual (English and Spanish) presenter, Gollub has performed at over 1,000 elementary schools, providing language arts enrichment for over half a million students. His goal as an author/speaker is to inspire young people to read for fun. He lives with his wife and son in California, one hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not just for older kids!, June 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Jazz Fly (book w/ audio CD) (Hardcover)

I thought my husband was crazy when he ordered this book. Our 2 boys are 3 and 2, and I thought they were just too young for it. As a band director, he's always introducing the kids to every aspect of music. There's a lot of books to introduce children's songs and classical music, but this is the first one we've found on Jazz. The boys have asked for this book every night since we got it (about 1 month ago). They take turns being the different characters and playing their respective instruments. It's so catchy, I find myself singing the words quite often throughout the day.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Fly is Jammin'!, June 18, 2002

By 

C. Johns (Los Alamitos, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jazz Fly (book w/ audio CD) (Hardcover)

As a teacher, I am always searching for quality literature to supplement and boost my curriculum. This book is amazing! Not only is it an enchanting story, it encourages children to think creatively. The introduction of "scat" singing encourages language play and rhyming in new ways. The accompanying CD enabled the children to appreciate Jazz, exposing them to the actual sounds and combinations of the instruments. My class embraced this story and made it their own, retelling it over and over again. As a parent, I was thrilled when my own children discovered Jazz, thanks to The Jazz Fly. They now enjoy identifying various instruments and are eager to learn more about music. This is an upbeat, positive addition to library!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Jazz Fly jams!, May 21, 2001

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jazz Fly (book w/ audio CD) (Hardcover)

What's the buzz? It's a fly who speaks jazz & he's asking different critters which way to town. The frog, the hog, the donkey & the dog all say it differently & the Jazz Fly hears music in their words.

Karen Hanke's vivid & vibrantly elegant illustrations zing & zap you from each page. I loved Sammy the Centipede & Willie the Worm - hoppin' & boppin' until the Jazz Club is jammin'. Weird & wonderful!

The Jazz Fly is different & fun - a real tongue-twister. Joyous with anticipation, invention & inspiration. There's a CD on which the author reads his story & a jazz combo plays: ~ skit ~ scat ~ fancy that! Great Stuff! Well done!