The childhood of Louis Armstrong was as fascinating as the great musician himself-and this chapter book biography tells it like never before. Play, Louis, Play! is written from the point of view of Louis' closest companion throughout his youth-his horn! In a jazz-inflected, exuberant voice, this unusual narrator tells it all, starting with the small New Orleans hock shop where little Louis bought his first trumpet for five hard-earned dollars.

Summary: This book is interesting and different because it is told from the point of view of Louis Armstrong's horn. It starts off where he bought it in this old instrument shop in New Orleans. It talks about his life and how he went from playing in a marching band to New Orleans Jazz Clubs (a.k.a. the big leagues).
Genre: Picture Book
Review: I loved that this story was told by Armstrong's horn. His story tells children to never give up because anything is possible no matter what background you come from. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book.

“Play, Louis Play!” is a wonderful biography that explains the childhood of famous musician Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was an incredible musician that used Jazz music to inspire his life. While reading “Play, Louis Play!, I learned a lot about who Louis Armstrong was and how he came to be a great musician. I thought it was important that the author included Armstrong's struggles as a child and how he came to purchase his first instrument. I was shocked to learn that Armstrong purchased his first trumpet from a New Orleans hock shop for five dollars. It is unheard of to purchase a trumpet for five dollars today. I also felt that it was important that the book discussed the Jazz community that Armstrong grew up in. Louis turned to music to help his family survive. Another lesson I was able to learn from this biography is that music can be a means of success, can bring families out of struggles and is an inspiration to any community. The Jazz music is lively and vibrant like Armstrong. Lastly, the illustrations in this text were vivid and bright, capturing Louis Armstrong's love for music through his smile. Overall, I enjoyed reading this biography on Louis Armstrong and feel that the colors, tone and music can be an inspiration to all. ( )