Ben's Trumpet

Art deco-style B&W drawings illustrate this story about Ben, a young boy growing up during the 1920s who dreams of becoming a trumpet player. Ben lives in an apartment building across the street from the Zig Zag Jazz Club, and most nights he can be found sitting on his fire escape, listening to the music, and playing along on his imaginary trumpet. Ben also plays this trumpet for his family and in the streets, but then, one day, some other kids make fun of him. Embarrassed, Ben stops playing his trumpet--until his idol, the trumpet player from the Zig Zag, comes by and encourages Ben to play again--this time on a real trumpet. A celebration of the power of music, the power of imagination, and the power of dreams, BEN'S TRUMPET is a 1980 Caldecott Honor Book. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.