* "Russell-Brown's debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison's sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba's story. Readers will agree that 'Melba Doretta Liston was something special.'" -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review * "Staccato rhythms pepper the fluid prose . Morrison's oil paintings practically sway with a jazz beat, though somber moments crop up, too: the shadows on Liston's face signify the trials of life on the road. A final image showing long-limbed Liston in profile as she plays under the glow of stage lights is exquisite." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review * "An excellent match of breezy text and dynamic illustrations tells an exhilarating story. A celebration of the talent and success of a little-known African American female musician, this title will enrich library collections.
" -- School Library Journal , starred review "In a smoothly passed narrative, this picture-book biography surveys the full life arc of a relatively unknown and unique jazz master. Brimming with inherent and inescapable enthusiasm, the oil-painting illustrations are the cat's pajamas, with brassy colors and jazzy perspectives that slide across the long pages, like Melba's own instrument." -- Booklist "Russell-Brown's account of her subject's early life is as smooth and stimulating as a Liston trombone solo, and will leave readers wanting to know more about the woman and her music. Morrison's oil paintings, in his trademark elongated, angular style, perfectly convey the jazz scene and, of course, Melba's amazing horn." -- The Horn Book "Little Melba and Her Big Trombone will delight every child who carries a rhythm or song in their heart." -- San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Little Melba and Her Big Trombone is a finger-popping slice of history that offers a peep-hole into the little-known world of a female jazz players of the 1920s." -- New York Journal of Books Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA) NAACP Image Awards Nominee - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ALSC Notable Children's Books - American Library Association (ALA) Amelia Bloomer Book List - American Library Association (ALA) Best Books - Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year - School Library Journal Best Children's Books of the Year Outstanding - Bank Street College of Education Best Multicultural Books - Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best of the Best Books - Chicago Public Library Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee - Maryland Association of School Librarians CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Delaware Diamonds Awards - Diamond State Reading Association Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor - California Reading Association Georgia Children's Book Award - Picture Storybook for Grades K-4 Nominee 2025 - 2016 - University of Georgia Louisiana Young Readers' Choice - State Library of Louisiana Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA) Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Recommended - National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).