That Swingin' Sound!

Even young readers who may not be familiar with jazz, Fitzgerald, or Armstrong will come away from the book with a sense of what their bright, brilliant music was like, as Daley’s illustrations show the very streets and buildings shimmying and twisting in time to soaring ribbons of musical notes, dancing lights, and sonic exuberance…. VERDICT A rousing tribute to two influential musical greats and the swinging sounds they made together. – School Library Journal * 10/24/25 *Rajan’s text is straightforward yet poetic… Daley’s digital renderings in vibrant colors burst with captivating images of New York and New Orleans jazz scenes. Musical notes dispersed throughout double-page spreads provide cohesion. – Horn Book * November/December 2025 *This story about the musical friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong swings and sways on the page, with words pouring across spreads, begging to be sung aloud at a storytime or accompanied by dance and music. Painterly digital illustrations make the music visible as it sweeps like a vibrantly colored wind through the story…. The book is as dynamic as it is informative, and it may convince more than a few young artists of the joy of collaborative work. – BCCB, starred review * October 2025 *[D]ynamic text and electric-hued illustrations echo the rhythm and energy of their [Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald’s] collaboration….a lively introduction to two icons whose friendship helped shape American music. – Publishers Weekly * 9/22/2025 *A zippy and tuneful dual biography of innovative jazz collaborators. – Kirkus * July 15, 2025 *

Dr. Rekha S. Rajan is a musician, classically trained opera singer, and the USA TODAY bestselling author of over fifteen books for kids and adults, including the This Is Music board book series, Can You Dance Like a Peacock?, Amazing Landmarks, That Swingin’ Sound!, and The Numbers Race. She has a doctorate and a master’s in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a master’s in education from Roosevelt University, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in music. Rekha lives in Chicago with her husband and children.

Ken Daley’s art has been featured in children’s books, print publications, and exhibitions across Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. He is the illustrator of picture books including Saturday Morning at the ’Shop by Keenan Jones, That Swingin’ Sound by Rekha S. Rajan, Granny’s Kitchen by Sadé Smith, and Black Boy, Black Boy by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond. Ken lives in Ontario.

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