A familiar theme told from a distinct cultural and oral tradition by a Romani storyteller from England.
Eager to play like other Traveler musicians, a Romani girl constructs her own musical instrument from a willow branch and recycled objects and is surprised by the results.
When Ossiri begins to play the new instrument she calls a Tattin Django, the ugly noises it makes disturb the community. Soon she is warned that her playing will wake the Bala Mengro, a huge, hairy ogre. Ossiri moves beyond the campsite to play alone and is immediately surprised by the emergence of the large monster from his cave. Frightened, she begs to be allowed to leave, but the ogre insists on her playing more and begins to sing and dance to the ugly sounds. He then pays her with a silver necklace, so she plays for him daily, earning another piece of gold each time. When a stranger tricks her and steals her instrument, his playing for the ogre does not produce the expected generous results. Ossiri finds only her Tattin Django and the stranger’s boots outside the ogre’s cave and realizes that her inner desire to play rather than wanting riches truly impressed the Bala Mengro. Scenes set within their rural encampment show a family of light-brown–skinned “rag-and-bone” people in long skirts, bandanna scarves, and hooped earrings making a living from recycled items, as explained in the author’s note. The inclusion of trucks, vans, and camper caravans along with horse-drawn vehicles makes clear to readers that the story is set in the present day.
A familiar theme told from a distinct cultural and oral tradition by a Romani storyteller from England. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-8464-3925-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
This celebration of a child’s agency in choosing a means of artistic expression strikes just the right note.
Finding just the right instrument to play means a lively trip to the music store to try them all out.
Of all the instruments that slide, squonk, blow, and honk, a young, white would-be musician must select just one. At first it’s a little overwhelming to be surrounded by 88 instruments. Patient parents stand by as the child experiments with an accordion, bagpipes, triangle, saxophone, harp, and drums. The variety of musical sounds is reinforced by rhymes reminiscent of Dr. Seuss: “Do I pick the squeeziest? / The wheeziest? / The easiest and breeziest?” The rhythmic, onomatopoeic text dances across exuberant watercolors with lots of movement. Characters and instruments are lightly drawn and set against a white background to great effect. Musicians will anticipate the outcome of this exuberant adventure from the title, as the child discovers the one instrument that captures the range of musical possibilities—the piano. For a book that targets the musically inclined, it’s unfortunate that design overshadows meaning in the cover art, where the title is backed by a bit of score that makes no musical sense, including two notes with ledger lines on spaces where they don't belong. The minor error can be overlooked in an otherwise delightful book.
This celebration of a child’s agency in choosing a means of artistic expression strikes just the right note. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-553-53814-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
This quiet tale’s beguiling details may well draw even action-oriented children in long enough that they hear its message
A squirrel, a pear, and a violin form the key elements in this unusual story that expresses how music can bring a community together.
When a squirrel finds a pear on the ground, he cuts it in two, eating just half because the whole is too big to eat. So the squirrel makes a violin out of the other half. He begins to play, and the music is so sweet that the animals in the forest stop to listen. The fox leaves off chasing the chicken, and the lion pauses his pursuit of the rabbit. Each predator says, “What beautiful music. Let’s stop and listen,” and even begins to cuddle with his respective prey. Soon the forest is peaceful and quiet, filled with the enchantment of the music. When a seed from the pear falls to the ground, it grows into a huge tree filled with all sizes of pears that the squirrel shares with the animals, even the “teeny tiny beetles,” who make their own cellos, violas, and violins. (What the carnivores decide to eat in this music-filled community goes unexplored.) The brightly colored illustrations have the look of mid-20th-century animation and incorporate small, charming details. Both author and illustrator are Chinese, and the book makes its way to North America via New Zealand. The story is gentle and lacking in dramatic appeal, though the idea of turning a pear into a violin is whimsical, and the peaceable kingdom that results is a winningly depicted one.
This quiet tale’s beguiling details may well draw even action-oriented children in long enough that they hear its message . (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-76036-020-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Starfish Bay
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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