M Is for Music

Features

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 56 pages
• Published by: Harcourt Children's Books September 1, 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0152014381
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0152014384
• Book Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Product Review
Opening with inspiring quotes from Frank Zappa and Nietzsche, Kathleen Krull takes readers on a tuneful journey through a rich variety of music. Illustrator Stacy Innerst's watery portraits of musicians and a vast diversity of instruments (from the accordion to the zither) reflect the movement and spark inherent to great music. Despite the appealing, folk-arty illustrations, however, it is overall a puzzling book, whose target audience is entirely unclear. Ostensibly an alphabet primer, the inclusion of (B is for) Beatles, (E is for) Elvis, and (H is for) Hildegard (a German nun and "the first lady composer we know by name") seems to muddy this alphabet soup with unnecessary complexities. The glossary (which someone just learning their ABCs may have some trouble reading) defines some, but by no means all, of the scattered words floating on the page near each letter. Prokofiev, ukeke, Stomu Yamashita, zapateado and others remain unexplained, forcing many parents into an awkward position when the question, "Mommy, what does that mean?" arises, which it surely will. (Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-This alphabetical compendium, from "anthem and accordion" to "zydeco, zither, and all forms of zippy music," takes a look at the people and things that make us sing. Krull displayed her love and knowledge of music in Gonna Sing My Head Off (Knopf, 1995) and Lives of the Musicians (Harcourt, 1993). Here, she offers both abstract and concrete terms to illustrate each letter. For example, "Ee is for Elvis, energy, and encore." Within the artwork are the words electric guitar, echo, elevator music, and ear, the last word appearing as if it were the call letters for a radio station, circa 1930, perched above a microphone shaped to suggest an ear. The jazzy oil-and-acrylic collage assemblages include humorous touches to reinforce the concepts. The range of words explored is almost as vast as the world of music itself, with figures as diverse as Frank Zappa and Hildegard and musical genres as different as ragtime and klezmer included in the mix. This book will make a great companion to Lloyd Moss's Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (S & S, 1995) and Music Is (Putnam, 2003) along with Aliki's Ah, Music (HarperCollins, 2003), all of which celebrate the beauty and diversity of music.
Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reader Reviews
Alphabet books. Sweet sweet alphabet books. Sometimes I suspect that alphabet books must be the sustaining backbone of the world's publishing houses. How else to describe the plethora of them that glut the market from year to year? Does the world really need one more dinosaur alphabet book? How about an avante garde one where all the letters are performed by members of Philobolus? Now author Kathleen Krull, known best perhaps for her stunning "Lives of" series, gives us a musically inspired version. She's paired with artisan Stacy Innerst, an accomplished illustrator with relatively few books under her belt to date. Together, they bring us a goofy look at a variety of different styles, tones, and notes. Though a little more diversity would have been a welcome addition, the book is an interesting (if somewhat confused) romp from A to Z. Four quotes to begin. You've got your Nietzsche, your Charlie Parker, your Helen Keller, and your Frank Zappa. Any picture book that finds a logical connecting thread between Nietzsche and Zappa right from the get-go has my attention. Then we're off. To give you a sense of the book, I'll describe the first letter's two-page spread. A man (quite possibly famous in the world of accordionists) stretches his instrument to the words, "Aa is for anthem and accordion". Around him pop up musical terms like "alto", "a cappella" and "aria". A side picture done in grays is shown of Louis Armstrong. From here on in letters are given either one or two pages full of different terms and pictures. From Elvis to Mozart and Hildegard of Bingen to Zydeco. In the end of the book lies a glossary of terms wherein some of the confusing pictures and words are explained (which is why I was able to tell you that Hildegard was of Bingen). The pictures and words are quite nice. Both realistic and delightfully surreal. I was much taken with a bizarre picture of two ukuleles singing in grass skirts on a sandy shore. According to the book, these pictures were done in oils and acrylics on a surface of gessoed board and tin. Tin! Tin is painted on and the word "gessoed" doesn't even appear in my computer's dictionary. I knew neither, prior to reading this. But let's talk diversity. Not just of race (which is a little spotty to begin with) but also of the kinds of music shown here. First of all, Krull's not shy about making it clear which artists she feels worthy of inclusion. Hence, we get a lot of classic rock from people like Zappa, Elvis, and the Beatles. In her bookflap, Krull mentions that her favorite kinds of music are, "classical, sound tracks, rock, and world music (especially Irish, Middle Eastern, and klezmer)". Be that as it may, no Middle Eastern music is portrayed here, let alone Irish. No mention is made of rap (would she not consider it a form of music or is rhythm not musical?) and few mentions of black musicians outside of jazz or spirituals. Tons of classical music nods, however. Just no one Asian, Native American or even South American. Still, it's shockingly easy to discredit an author for what they fail to include. What Krull has collected is well-thought out and the accompanying illustrations are pitch perfect at almost all times (with a possible exception of the mighty odd "W" page). All in all, if you'd like to choose a musically-inclined picture book for your young 'un, this one certainly fits the bill. Comment (1) | | (Report this)