Review by Booklist Review
This lively, colorful picture book has a brief text that comments on music: its many specific forms, its ability to express emotions, and its breadth of appeal across national boundaries. Created with acrylic paints, felt pens, and digital elements, the vibrant illustrations are full of rhythm and movement, as musicians play their instruments while dancers sometimes sway, glide, march, and strut, often moving with those around them. Pantaleo, an Italian illustrator and writer, captures the joy, the sorrow, the sharing, and the universality of music, which can evoke emotions through sounds as well as lyrics. Each page offers a different experience and can be enriched by visiting the back matter, where a miniature reproduction of the picture on a page is accompanied by small-print notes that might identify the name, style, and history of the instrument or genre of music that is portrayed on the page shown. Parents, teachers, and caretakers reading the book aloud may find it rewarding to have relevant samples of musical styles and traditions available to share with young children.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--This book bursts with a vibrant celebration of music and its ability to transcend boundaries. Through brief but impactful text, it explores how music affects emotions, unites people across languages, and represents diverse cultures. The illustrations--created with acrylic paint, felt pens, and digital graphics--are dynamic and colorful, filling each page with energy and life. The love of music is unmistakable, with various cultures and musical mediums beautifully depicted throughout. The back matter enriches the experience, offering several pages of music history and facts, making this title a great candidate for educational rereads. VERDICT A colorful and engaging book; this is a worthwhile addition wherever music themed stories or richly illustrated books are in demand.--Kirsten Caldwell
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A loving tribute to the ways music shapes and reflects our cultures and to the unique way it binds humanity. There's an old maxim that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Yet Pantaleo admirably manages the daunting task of capturing music's complexity through word and image. The author starts with small, personal experiences, describing in brief, straightforward language how music allows one to "relive a memory." It can elicit tears or soothe anxious hearts. Pantaleo then widens her perspective to consider music that holds important cultural meaning. Occasional overly broad statements feel a tad discordant, but pages showing Maori hakas or Hawaiian people blowing conch shell trumpets nicely demonstrate that music can play both symbolic and utilitarian roles. Pantaleo closes by urging readers to "follow its rhythm. Can you hear it?" Raucous, wildly colorful images accompanying the text, translated from Italian, are as exuberant as a rock concert. Dark lines emanating from instruments and mouths feel like sound bursting forth; readers will readily sing the praises of the chunky, high-contrast portraits of diverse musicians from around the world and beyond--one image depicts astronaut Wang Yaping performing "Jasmine Flower" on the International Space Station. Brief but comprehensive backmatter provides further information on the culture, instrument, or musical element on each page. Sweeping and thought-provoking. Readers will agree: "Music is magical." (glossary)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
