The African orchestra

Despite its generalized approach to Africa, this is still an enchanting read-aloud with enticing rhymes inspired by the many sounds created by flora and fauna and the diverse peoples of the continent. Drawings with soft watercolor washes display both human hands making music and the animals that inspire it: "We are the herds that gallop and run. / We 'rumble' and 'boo-oom' in the African drum. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In simple and magical verse, Hartmann transports readers to the beautiful landscapes of Africa with a celebration of African music and instruments and the accompanying splendid natural sounds that birthed them.Soft mixed-media illustrations with a strong emphasis on watercolors provide the backdrop for this celebration of African cultural contributions and the natural wonders that offered their inspiration. Hartmann eloquently writes, "In the beginning, when all things began, / these were the sounds which were music to man," reminding readers of the long history of Africa as the motherland for all human beings. Featured in the onomatopoeic orchestra are the clicking of crickets, the crackle of fire, the "cr-i-sshh" of seedpod rattles, the "hummmm" of honeybees, and the "rumble" and "boo-oom" of the hooved animals of the grassland. Birds, frogs, and zebras are found along with choruses of traditionally dressed African men and women. "Through African nights and African days," Hartmann emphasizes, "THIS is the music that the orchestra plays!" With its onomatopoeia, it's a natural for participatory read-alouds, perhaps paired with Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (1995), and similar musical outings. A magical tour of the natural wonders of the African continent tied with a celebration of the cultural foundations of African people who mined these sounds to create beautiful music. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.