"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu
Featured book today: + CD
Title: Simply Fantastic
An Introduction to Classical Music
Author: Ana Gerhard
Illustrator: Claudia Legnazzi
Ages: 7-12
Storybook & Music CD
Let's take a peek inside shall we?
About the book:
This book is elegant. It is packaged so beautifully and is rich in content. Every child should have the opportunity to be introduced to classical music....the music of heaven and angels. Simply Fantastic covers more than 300 years of classical music history and the illustrations are stunning. Your kids will discover a whole world of magic whose inhabitants are witches, gnomes, fairies, goblins, elves and wizards that inspired the composers to create these moving pieces.
The book includes a listening guide at the end which documents musical terms, a short bio of each composer and a brief presentation of each magnificent character.
Tucked in the back for your child's listening enjoyment (and yours) are 20 experts from various recordings performed by world-class luminaries, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, La Scala Chorus and Orchestra, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields just to name a few. The songs are short in length which is just perfect for a young listeners attention span. I would suggest you listen to the CD first, read the guide together then close your eyes and listen again. The music will whisk you off to enchanted lands and supernatural creatures will inhabit the euphonic experience and warm the cockles of your heart. Every child should be subjected to such a "high brow" education. Everything about the book is "high class" and once the music penetrates deep inside, you both can beyond a shadow of a doubt "high five" yourselves because it will be with you forever.
About the author and illustrator:
Ana Gerhard studied as a concert pianist at the Mexican National Conservatory. She has taught piano for several years and has hosted numerous radio programs dedicated to the promotion of classical music. She is the author of Listen to the Birds.Claudia Legnazzi studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires and has illustrated children’s books for the past 25 years. She has won numerous awards, including the Argentina Book Chamber’s Album of the Year and Mexico’s International Prize for Illustrated Books. Some of her work has been acquired by the Chihiro Art Museum of Japan and belongs to its permanent collection.
Book review rating: 9 (close to perfection!)
Read on and read always! Have a classic day everyone.
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