Tag Archives: music

Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was never good at doing what he was told, a refrain that runs throughout this picture book biography by Michael Mahin (illustrated by Evan Turk). No matter who told him he couldn’t do something–his grandma, the boss man, … Continue reading

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The Bear and the Piano

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield has so much to like about it, I’m going to ramble. In the beginning, the bear sees a piano in the forest. He fiddles with it and over time, his skill at playing piano grows … Continue reading

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Symphony City

In Symphony City, a young girl gets lost in the subway and street music shows her the path back home. Spare text coupled with Amy Martin‘s bold lines and contrasting colour scheme make this picture book a visual treat. Also, find the … Continue reading

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Walk Together Children

Selected and illustrated by world-renowned artist Ashley Bryan, Walk Together Children:  Black American Spirituals, is complete with music for each song. The linoleum print artwork, stunning in black and white if you can get your hands on a 1974 edition, has … Continue reading

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John Coltrane’s Giant Steps

Chris Raschka takes words and images, and makes them sound like Coltrane jazz.  Read it through with a class full of kids, but be ready to hand out music parts:  the raindrop gives the tempo, the box makes bass sounds, … Continue reading

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Duke Ellington

A history of jazz and the genius of Duke Ellington who painted colours with music is told through Brian Pinkney’s vivid art and Andrea Pinkney’s equally vivid text.   A biography that feels more like a story, Duke Ellington:  The … Continue reading

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Ben’s Trumpet

Rachel Isadora’s book is everything a book about music should be.  It has soulful pictures that echo the words which evoke the music inherent in the prose.  I have heard the recorded version of Ben’s Trumpet and it is very … Continue reading

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