In this episode of Courage to Create, Bethany Hegedus welcomes both debut author Kathleen Cornell Berman and debut illustrator Keith Henry Brown. Their picture book biography, BIRTH OF THE COOL: HOW JAZZ GREAT MILES DAVIS FOUND HIS SOUND, tells the story of Miles Davis and how his hard work and determination turned him into the “scientist of sound.” Kathy’s idea to write about Davis was born from her participation in Tara Lazar’s picture book month, and Keith is a longtime fan of Miles Davis and wanted to share his own love of jazz music with children to help them learn about it and appreciate it for themselves.
During this episode, they discuss creating the book and how Keith wanted his illustrations to match the mood of Kathy‘s writing, which started off in prose but then evolved into the more musical form of free verse poetry. The book was published by Page Street Kids, which is a new and eager company. This exciting biography has already received a starred review from Kirkus plus had a celebrated lunch at the Jazz Gallery in New York City. For more info on Kathy, go to www.kathleencornellberman.com/and for more info on Keith, go to www.keithhbrown.com/