Attractive to look at, to hold and to hear, this is a good selection for music-making children.
Charming illustrations and a thoughtful choice of performance examples enhance this deceptively simple introduction to the life and work of Frederic Chopin that emphasizes the singing voice of his piano music.
Like others in the First Discovery series, this entry features Voake's delicate ink-and-watercolor sketches, period illustrations and an accompanying CD narrated by Michael Cantwell. The audio includes excerpts from a broad range of the Polish-born composer’s piano music, from short pieces to sonatas and a concerto, all taken from good recorded performances. In the first section, each double-page spread covers a particular point in the musician’s life and includes a sidebar with further information and suggestions for the musically inclined. A second section briefly describes his compositions. The text is limited, no more than a paragraph per spread, but made more difficult by sentences broken across the pages. First published in France in 1999, this new edition is a joint publication of Moonlight Publishing and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in London. The CD would serve on its own as an audiobook, but Voake’s softly colored drawings and the reproduced paintings, though small, enrich the experience. Claude Debussy, by Pierre Babin, publishes simultaneously and shares this title's strengths.
Attractive to look at, to hold and to hear, this is a good selection for music-making children. (Informational picture book/audiobook. 6-10)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1851033089
Page Count: 28
Publisher: First Discovery Music
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
A picture book worth reading about a historical figure worth remembering.
An honestly told biography of an important politician whose name every American should know.
Published while the United States has its first African-American president, this story of John Roy Lynch, the first African-American speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, lays bare the long and arduous path black Americans have walked to obtain equality. The title’s first three words—“The Amazing Age”—emphasize how many more freedoms African-Americans had during Reconstruction than for decades afterward. Barton and Tate do not shy away from honest depictions of slavery, floggings, the Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow laws, or the various means of intimidation that whites employed to prevent blacks from voting and living lives equal to those of whites. Like President Barack Obama, Lynch was of biracial descent; born to an enslaved mother and an Irish father, he did not know hard labor until his slave mistress asked him a question that he answered honestly. Freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Lynch had a long and varied career that points to his resilience and perseverance. Tate’s bright watercolor illustrations often belie the harshness of what takes place within them; though this sometimes creates a visual conflict, it may also make the book more palatable for young readers unaware of the violence African-Americans have suffered than fully graphic images would. A historical note, timeline, author’s and illustrator’s notes, bibliography and map are appended.
A picture book worth reading about a historical figure worth remembering. (Picture book biography. 7-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5379-0
Page Count: 50
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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