(2) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Goodman grew up in Chicago, a working-class Jewish boy; Wilson lived in Tuskegee, Alabama, a middle-class African American boy. The story of how the two jazz musicians met and formed the Benny Goodman Trio (the "first interracial band to perform publicly") is recounted in short bursts of text, almost like jazz riffs, accompanied by pencil and watercolor illustrations that capture distinctive moments. Timeline.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jeanette Winter. This short, inspirational tale about Benny Goodman, the famous jazz clarinetist and swing band leader, describes his childhood in a large, closely knit, very poor immigrant family in Chicago. The story relates his father's support of Benny's music despite great financial difficulties and Benny's poignant musical response to his father's sudden death after being hit by a car. Stylized folk-like paintings complement the narrative.

Reviewer: Jack Forman