Dizzy

Dizzy (2006) is Jonah Winter’s picture-book biography of jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, brought to life with Sean Qualls’s bold, rhythmic art.

Winter tells Gillespie’s story with a text that bounces and swings, echoing the playful, unpredictable nature of Dizzy’s music. It isn’t a dry retelling of dates and facts — instead, it captures the feeling of bebop: fast, surprising, alive.

Sean Qualls matches that mood visually. His illustrations are full of motion, layered textures, and a palette that feels both grounded and electric. Figures stretch, tilt, and almost seem to sway to the beat. Gillespie himself appears larger-than-life, with his trademark puffed cheeks and bent trumpet, as if he’s blowing sound right off the page.

Together, Winter and Qualls don’t just describe who Dizzy Gillespie was — they try to sound like him on the page. Reading the book is a bit like listening to a solo: playful, daring, and full of joy.