Eric Kimmel grew up in Brooklyn, New York, loving the music of Louis Armstrong, who lived a few miles away in Queens. He is the award-winningauthor of the Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

How did famous New Orleans jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong get his first horn?

Seven-year-old Louis Armstrong was too poor to buy a real instrument. He didn't even go to school. To help his mother pay the rent, every day he rode a junk wagon through the streets of New Orleans, playing a tin horn and collecting stuff people didn't want. Then one day, the junk wagon passed a pawn shop with a gleaming brass trumpet in the window. . . .

With messages about hard work, persistence, hope, tolerance, cooperation, trust, and friendship, A Horn for Louis is perfect for aspiring young musicians and nonfiction fans alike!

History Stepping Stones now feature updated content that emphasizes Common Core and today's renewed interest in nonfiction. Perfect for home, school, and library bookshelves!