Description

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Growing up, John was a seeker. He wondered about spirit, and the meaning of life. And whether music could be a key to unlocking those mysteries. Like his grandfather’s preaching and his parents’ songs, could John’s music bring people closer to God?
     Told in moving prose and powerfully illustrated, this is the story of a shy, curious boy from a deeply religious family who grew up to find solace and inspiration in his own unique approach to both spirituality and music. John Coltrane—a legendary jazz musician whose work shattered boundaries and continues to influence countless artists to this day.

About the Author

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Gary Golio is the New York Times bestselling author of Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix. He has also counseled children and teens in the area of addiction. Gary lives with his wife, the author Susanna Reich, in Ossining, New York. To learn more, please visit www.garygolio.com.

Rudy Gutierrez is a Pura Belpré Honor-winning illustrator who has also created album art, most notably for the group Santana’s acclaimed release Shaman. He teaches at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and lives in Bogota, New Jersey. To learn more, please visit www.altpick.com/rudygutierrez.

Praise For…

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"Lyrically narrated, resplendently illustrated and deeply respectful of both subject and audience."
—Kirkus, starred review

"The art ingeniously gets across the intangibles in Coltrane's story as Golio tells it."
—Horn Book

"As an impressionistic introduction to a jazz giant, this should whet appetites to learn and hear more."
—Booklist

"Gutierrez's wildly kinetic and occasionally fantastical paintings are appropriately heartfelt and groovy."
—New York Times Book Review

"A well-conceived marriage of art and text breathes life and passion into this picture biography."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"The dizzying heights and lowest moments of John Coltrane's life are portrayed with energy and care by Golio and Gutierrez."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review —