New Children’s Book Designed to Get Kids Interested in Jazz

New children’s book designed to get kids interested in jazz.

All That the Dog Ever Wanted (Fields of Gold Publishing, Inc., Nashville, TN) is a whimsical, artistic approach at introducing jazz to a young audience. This picture book for children is about a dog named Django who wants to learn to play jazz in order to gain approval from his owner. In the end, Django learns to work through his own limitations and he eventually discovers how to express himself through his true and natural talent.

Origin of the idea
The idea for the book sparked from a conversation that the author, Amy Neftzger (Pronounced nef-zghur), had with her husband, guitarist Tyra Neftzger, about the difficulty of introducing children to the genre. “The book isn’t designed to simply teach kids about jazz. Teaching them is wonderful, but if we can grab their attention with a story or with a song they’re more likely to enjoy what they hear and want to know more about it. Once interest or curiosity is aroused, we can teach more effectively,” Amy explains.

In fact, the book does more than simply entertain; it includes a section after the story called “Frequently Asked Questions.” This part of the book gives a brief history on jazz and explains why jazz is different from other musical forms. It also gives a brief biography of Django Reinhardt, the main character’s namesake.

About the CD
The book is packaged with a CD of 3 jazz tunes designed specifically for the book: one song with vocals and two instrumentals. “We included a CD with this book because we wanted kids to do more than just read about jazz, we wanted them to be able to hear it first hand,” explains Tyra Neftzger, composer and arranger for all three tunes on the CD. “I included one tune that should be familiar to most kids so that they can get a better idea of how jazz is different from other genres. Teachers who talk about jazz in the classroom may find this recording useful.”

Teaching Aids
For teachers who would like to use the book or introduce jazz in the classroom Fields of Gold Publishing, Inc. has provided discussion questions and some basic curriculum. Since WAV samples are provided on the site, these tools can also be used by teachers who don’t play an instrument. Go to Fields of Gold to view or download the materials.

About the Artists
Amy Neftzger, the book’s author and illustrator, is also the author of Conversations With the Moon, a collection of short stories available in the U.S. and recently translated into Korean. She has also authored a number of works of non-fiction.

Tyra Neftzger, the composer and arranger of the audio CD that accompanies the book, is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He has worked in a variety of genres, but identifies jazz as his favorite. His recent collection of jazz instrumentals called Psalmthing Blue has received radio air play around the world.

Chas Williams, dobro artist on two of the recordings, is the author of The Nashville Number System and has toured and played sessions with many artists in the Nashville area, including Wynonna Judd, David Gates, and Nanci Griffith.

For a more detailed press release, please click here. Or contact Anna Norman, Director of Marketing.

Available through bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and at Fields of Gold Publishing on September 28, 2005.