An engaging music-themed tale for preschoolers who need a simple lesson about unity.
In this picture book, instruments in a music shop refuse to get along.
In a quaint little town can be found a music shop populated by anthropomorphic instruments who love nothing more than to play music together. But from the flutes and guitars to the percussion and strings, all are highly susceptible to the outlandish ideas swept in on the coattails of the Slimy Musician. He immediately insists that all the instruments play separately: “How can maracas shake when drums are drumming? How can pianos play when guitars are strumming?” The instruments take his criticism to heart; their ensuing strife is so disruptive that it turns the diverse town upside down. Clocks don’t work; popcorn doesn’t pop; and only a piano named Lyric is ready to take on the problem. Lyric calls on her friends, who suggest bringing all of the feuding instruments to the Master at a free concert that night. It’s only when the Master encourages the instruments to put aside their differences that music returns to the town. This is Lyric’s second adventure and Bursey’s newest book since The Little Piano (2018). The enjoyable tale skillfully teaches young readers the importance of diversity and collaboration, though the lesson would be stronger if the conflict were initiated more naturally. Shull’s vibrant illustrations are reminiscent of a rambunctious animated television show for children, with curving bodies, eyebrows, and large eyes conveying huge expressions.
An engaging music-themed tale for preschoolers who need a simple lesson about unity.Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 9781489738639
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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