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19 Toe-Tapping Picture Books That Help Kids Explore Diverse Music

Music begins where words end.

There’s something magical about exploring music with children. Besides teaching them about musical genres, famous musicians, and instruments, music also provides opportunities to connect with different cultures, experience feelings and emotions, and bring history to life. This diverse list of our favorite music books for kids has a little something for everyone.

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1. Music Is… by Brandon Stosuy (PreK-K)

This deceptively simple board book packs so much musical vocabulary for kids. Find tons of inspiration for your own “Music is…” writing and art prompts. Also, check out the companion title We Are Music.

2. Violet’s Music by Angela Johnson (PreK-1)

Violet knew she was a musician her entire life. She played alone until finally finding others to play with who were just like her. This is a sweet character study and an affirming title for kids who can’t resist playing music “all day long.”

3. Natsumi!  by Susan Lendroth (PreK-1)

Natsumi is eager to join in the Japanese arts festival in her town, but her exuberance is too much for many of the traditional arts. When she learns more about drumming, though, she realizes it’s a perfect fit. This is a fun title to introduce simple percussion explorations in the classroom.

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4. The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist (K-2)

It’s electric! You will definitely be smiling and humming by the end of this book. Kai’s family is full of accomplished dancers, but he hasn’t found his groove yet. When a family wedding presents the opportunity, he faces the music and takes the dance floor by storm. This is an encouraging title for kids who are nervous to try out music and dance activities at school.

5. Drummer Boy of John John by Mark Greenwood (K-2)

Winston yearns to be in the winning band at Carnival … but he has neither bandmates nor instruments. Undeterred, he raids the town dump for recycled containers to create drums. Before long, Winston’s Junkyard Band is a huge local hit. We love using this title to introduce an instrument-making project. Plus, the amazing onomatopoeia and illustrations by Frané Lessac just make us happy.

6. Wild Symphony by Dan Brown (PreK-3)

Each wild animal in this rhythmic romp has different strengths and skills. When they join together, it’s a WILD SYMPHONY! The small details in this musical tale make it able to be appreciated on multiple levels, but regardless—toes will be tapping! This could be a fantastic introduction to a group music-making activity.

7. Rafi and Rosi Music! by Lulu Delacre (K-3)

Rafi and Rosi are two very endearing Puerto Rican tree frogs. In this series installment, they learn about three types of music important to Puerto Rican culture: bomba, plena, and salsa. This works well as an advanced early reader or as an informative and fun read aloud! This book includes Spanish words and is also available fully in Spanish.

8. Finding the Music/En pos de la música by Jennifer Torres (K-4)

When Reyna accidentally breaks her abuelito’s special instrument, a vihuela, she’s heartbroken—and determined to get it fixed. This touching title celebrates family bonds, mariachi music, and the power of community.

9. Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music  by Margarita Engle (K-4)

This title celebrates percussion and, in particular, girl drummers. Written in verse, it’s inspired by a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke gender barriers for drumming in Cuba in the 1930s.

10. The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Art by Barb Rosenstock (K-4)

This is one of our favorite music books for kids because it also incorporates art. When young Vasya Kandinsky opens his paint box, he’s surprised that the colors create a symphony of sounds. If you like to have kids draw their impressions of music as they listen, this title is a must-have.

11. Because by Mo Willems (K-4)

Because historic composers wrote beautiful music and combined efforts, they created a concert that changed one young musician’s course … that young musician wrote more beautiful music. This story celebrates the enduring power of music and also introduces kids to many musical terms. It could also inspire beautiful students writing about pivotal experiences in their own lives–musical or not.

12. Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons (K-5)

Perfect for Black History Month , or any time of year, this narrative nonfiction tale celebrates the special power of a song. “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” written by the principal of a segregated school in 1900, brought comfort and inspiration to many throughout the 20th century and eventually became known as the Black National Anthem.

13. Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews (K-5)

This autobiography describes how New Orleans jazz trombonist Troy “Trombone Shorty” started out playing a discarded trombone in a ragtag neighborhood band. His story shows kids interested in a future in music that, with dedication, anything is possible.

14. Sound: Shhh…Bang…POP…BOOM! by Romana Romanyshyn (1-6)

This creative nonfiction title explains the basis for all music: sound. From cool graphics showing how the ear works to examples of how the noises we hear everyday can be considered music, this title will expand your students’ perspective for sure.

15. Elvis is King! by Jonah Winter (1-6)

Here’s an engaging collection of notable events–large and small–in Elvis’s life, from his first cheeseburger to his transformation from awkward teen to TV phenomenon. We like how the author treats his childhood poverty in a straightforward but sensitive way. All the anecdotes definitely pique kids’ curiosity about “the King.”

16. RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford (1-6)

This is one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous music books for kids. It introduces kids to an important musical icon and highlights the relationship between music and social justice. Read it and then cue up a playlist of the Queen of Soul’s chart-topping hits.

17. The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford (2-6)

This fascinating and artful trip through musical history will fascinate kids (and adults too). Learn about how artists from so many domains—storytelling, poetry, funk, street art, breakdancing, deejaying, and more—helped rap and hip-hop become what they are today.

18. Music and How It Works: The Complete Guide for Kids by DK (1-6)

This comprehensive guide truly covers everything musical! It’s got info on notable genres, instruments, and composers, and tips on reading music. Plus, there are plenty of fun facts to keep kids interested. (Did you know fish can be trained to tell the difference between Bach and Stravinsky?)

19. Turn It Up!: A Pitch-Perfect History of Music That Rocked the World by National Geographic Kids (3-6)

This substantial title is a children’s book version of Music History 101. From instruments carved from bones unearthed in caves to Lady Gaga and everything in between, there’s so much information here to satisfy kids’ musical interests.

Did we miss any of your favorite music books for kids? Let us know in the comments!

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15 Best Children’s Books With Movement For Music Teachers

Are you looking for great books to help your students move in music class? 

Combining literature with music is a great way to build better connections in the brain while still staying focused on music making. 

I’m often asked by pre-service music teachers to name the best children’s book with movement. 

Obviously, picking the best single children’s book with movement is a tall order. So instead, here is my list of my favorite books for children’s book with movement and music: 

• My Aunt Came Back
• Dancing Feet
• Barnyard Dance
• We’re Going On A Bear Hunt
• Giraffes Can’t Dance
• The Nutcracker
• Chicken Dance
• Sing And Dance In Your Polka Dot Pants
• The Jellybeans And The Big Dance
• Shake Your Sillies Out! 
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes
• The Wheels On The Bus
• The Aunts Come Marching
• The Other Day I Met A Bear

Read on for a brief breakdown of each book and where you can find it. 

Consider links to be affiliate in nature. This means I may earn a small commission when you click on a product and purchase it at no extra cost to you. However, these are all books I’ve used repeatedly in my classroom. 

Table of Contents

Review Of The 15 Best Children’s Book With Movement

Here is a quick breakdown of my book list and why I like them so much for my classroom. I’ve used each and everyone one of the books in my room. 

Don’t forget to click the image or the “Buy now on Amazon” for current pricing (sometimes they’re on sale!).

#1 My Aunt Came Back

This book is a killer with my PreK-2nd graders. It’s an add-on song, meaning that each repetition of the song adds on more complicated movements. 

This book is published from the traditional song. It’s an echo song which makes it easy for even the youngest kids to play. 

As a plus, I will take out a map of the world, and my older students will trace the aunt’s travels. Hello, cross-curricular. 

It’s also fun to work with students to come up with new items, motions, and places based on where you are. My kids think it’s hilarious to sing about their hometown. 

#2 Dancing Feet

This picture book is perfect for your PreK or Kindergarten classes. The rhythmic chanting fits beat and rhythm perfectly.

As the story goes along, different animals will be dancing. It’s a fun movement exploration activity, you may invite students to show you how they would imagine each animal dances. 

To tie this board book further into music, after you read it, you may add non-pitched percussion you and the students decide matches the animal and its dance. This is a great way to introduce timbre. 

#3 Barnyard Dance

If you don’t already have Sandra Boynton’s classic, you need to get it for your classroom. You get multiple repetitions of this expressive and hilarious book with its fun movements. 

Look for ways to connect the “barn dance” with American cultures. Barn dances were common occurrences in the Midwest, and this book makes a great jumping point to discuss that.

#4 We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

I remember reading this book and song with my Grandma as a kid, so this book and song holds a special place in my heart as well as the tradition of oral history.

Not only is this book based off a call and response song, but the movements you can add to it as you share help give young students a better awareness of movement words. 

#5 Giraffes Can’t Dance

As books go, this one has gained a lot of popularity for several reasons. These are the exact reasons I think it’s perfect for your classroom. 

First, it has an adorable and fun way of getting kids to move. Add in some music after you read the book, and the kids will get grooving. Check out the best elementary music books for ideas. 

Second, it teaches a great lesson about the belief that anyone can do anything. Don’t listen to what others say. 

Finally, it supports being comfortable in your own skin. You can’t put a price on this, especially in music.

#6 The Nutcracker

If you’re anything like me, you love getting as much distance out of a subject, topic, or learning idea as you can. The Nutcracker is one of the most popular ballets to teach about in the general music classroom, and this book makes the perfect companion to that. 

You can use the beautiful, colorful illustrations in this book as a launching point for a Nutcracker unit or as a companion to all of the great music, dance, and videos out there on the subject. 

Movement is one of the best ways for students to connect music with expression. But they also need to be aware of their bodies and explore movement space. 

This book talks about how different animals and is a fun launch pad for many lessons using such movement exploration. 

#8 Chicken Dance

What’s better than the chicken dance? An Elvis-impersonating rooster doing the chicken dance, of course! 

I love this book, and the kids think it’s hilarious. I even use this book again with my older students when I talk about some side topics such as pop music history and pop song form. 

#9 Sing And Dance In Your Polka Dot Pants

The first time one of my Kindergarten teachers turned me on to this book, I fell in love. This book is adorable and was written to get kids moving. 

On top of this, the book, written by the same author that brought us Pete The Cat, also features some call and response. This is a great way to engage students in the storytelling right off the bat.  

#10 The Jellybeans And The Big Dance

For some reason, this heartwarming story about different kids coming together to make a successful dance recital gets me every time. 

My favorite storytelling element of this book (beyond the movement potential) is how every character has different interests outside of movement. 

The author does an amazing job of showing how people can move beyond their differences, learn to appreciate things they didn’t think they would, and come together to create great memories. 

#11 Shake Your Sillies Out!

For those of you who don’t know this about me already, I’m a huge fan of children’s singer Raffi. I grew up listening to his work, and I find his sincerity and engaging songs to be a ton of fun. 

This book is based on one of the songs he performed regularly. Its simple melody and expressed movements make it easy to sing, play, and enjoy. 

#12 Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes

One thing I notice as time goes on is that students haven’t learned many of the “standard” kid’s songs from home. I never thought to specifically teach this song in music class, but once I started to realize most kids haven’t learned, I felt it was important to add it to my curriculum. 

Of course, we all know the fun this books, song, and movement brings to young students. As an extension, I like to work with my kids to create a new version based on other body parts (school appropriate, of course!). 

#13 The Wheels On The Bus

Along the same lines as the last book, the Wheels On The Bus may seem like a song/book most should know, but many don’t. 

The movements are clear and entertaining. There’s a lot of potential to add more motions and lyrics to the song. 

I prefer this exact version of the book with its beautiful illustrations. You can find hundreds of versions out there, but this one is beautifully illustrated. 

#14 The Ants Go Marching

Kids have probably read/heard at least one version of this song already. And that’s OK. 

One of the interesting things about music is all the different variations. So I love to compare and contrast the different versions of the book for kids. 

This is also something you could do your administrators would understand and appreciate. Comparing and contrasting is a power skill that helps all people in school and the rest of their lives. 

Of course, in addition to this, you have a fun song in triple, in minor, with fun movements. Win, win, win! 

#15 The Other Day I Met A Bear

Many folks know this song, but not everyone knows you can do moves with it. There aren’t any specific ones; you just make up moves based on the lyrics.

As a call and response song, you can engage students in music making right away. This funny song is another one I feel that all students should know. 

Though I grew up on other book versions of this song, I do love the illustrations of the First Steps In Music version of this detailed picture book. 

3 Simples Strategies For Using Books In The Music Classroom

Here are 3 quick and simple strategies for where to place “book time” in your lessons. Any of these work well, but hopefully, you’ll find one of these ways helpful. 

Songtale/Ending – This is where I put almost all of my song-reading time. I end every one of my classes with either a book or an interesting music-related video. 

This helps lower the energy of the students before they leave, and provides students a chance to take in music. 

Hook – For movement books, such as these, I tend to use them as hooks. A hook in a lesson is an activity, question, or book that introduces the ideas of the lesson. 

For some of these books, I’ll read them at the beginning of the movement activity, and then press on to the actual music and movement portion. 

Supplement – This is the opposite way from the hook method. This way, you do the movement and music lesson first, and then tie it together with the book. 

I don’t this one very often unless the book is connected to a larger unit, such as the Nutcracker book. 

I love books and reading as it is, and any chance I get to connect this love with music and movement is a win for me!

Hopefully, this list of 15 children’s books with movement will be helpful to you as discover the power of movement in your music room. 

You may also enjoy this other blog post I wrote on my favorite books for the music classroom . 

Zach VanderGraaff

Zach VanderGraaff is a K-5 music teacher in Michigan with 12 years of experience. He's the President of the Michigan Kodaly Educators and founder of the Dynamic Music Room.

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23 Music Books for Kids to Get Them Rocking to the Beat!

February 10, 2022 //  by  Brittney Hallmark

Music is not only an incredible art, but it can also be used as a learning tool for students. Some can retain information better when it is set to rhythm and rhyme. This list includes a wide variety of options. From chapter books to storybooks, these fiction and nonfiction texts help students connect to music and musicians.

Nonfiction and Biography Music Books for Kids

1. who was mozart.

One of the popular National Geographic books, this biography tells the incredible story of a young boy who grew up to become a historic composer. This book is best suited for upper elementary school and comes with a digital resource through a website with examples of how to connect common standards.

2. Duke Ellington

Winning the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Honor, this picture book tells the story of Duke Ellington. Brian Pinkney and Andrea Davis Pinkney created another bestseller by bringing beautiful pictures and rhythmic words together in this musician’s biography! All elementary school students will enjoy this book, and it is great for Black History month as well!

3. When Marian Sang

The award-winning biography of Marian Anderson has five-star book reviews! It includes detailed and realistic artwork and tells the courageous story of a young woman who was determined to share her voice with the world! This book is best for 2nd grade-fifth grade.

4. Who was Selena?

This book is a great way to bring in new information about another culture! This book goes through the life and events of Selena. It is a chapter book and there are many other musicians and bands in this series. These books are great ways to make cross-curricular connections as well. Geared more for upper elementary or middle school students.

5. Elvis is King

Another amazing biography, this book is geared towards upper elementary. Unique artwork in the form of clay figurines combined with the life events of Elvis in this book. The author brings history to life with the story of this iconic artist and his musical talents!

6. A History of Music for Children

This nonfiction tribute to music around the world is full of interesting facts and colorful illustrations! It covers a diverse range of music genres and musicians and even includes a playlist of songs for the reader to enjoy!

7. RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul

Uniquely written in rhyme, this biography tells the story of the soul legend Aretha Franklin! The beautiful illustrations and strong storyline help children understand the power of music and how it can affect daily life. This award-winning book is a great way to make cross-curricular connections to history.

8. Ada’s Violin

Based on a true story, complete with incredible five-star book reviews, this book tells of how one man took the trash and turned it into treasure for many young children in his town. This fascinating book tells a charming story of how Favio Chavez created musical instruments for children by using random trash found in the landfill. This book is ideal for young readers.

9. Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty boasts a Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award. This beautiful book showcases some amazing artwork and tells the life story of Troy Andrews. This biography is great for making cross-curricular connections to use during Black History Month as well. Elementary school-aged readers will enjoy this classic book about how a young boy’s dreams came true.

10. M is for Melody

This alphabet book in a music-themed version is sure to be loved by elementary-aged children! Filled full of musical terminology, full of bright and vibrant artwork, and told through rhyme, this music book for kids is a must-read!

Fiction Music Books for Kids

11. acoustic rooster.

This comical story is told in the form of rhyme and has a great play on words! The colorful illustrations paint a picture of a rocking barnyard with a jazz band full of animals. This 32-page book is ideal for younger elementary-aged children.

12. Violet’s Music

Violet is a music-loving young girl who marches to the beat of her own drum. Angela Johnson does a great job telling the story of this jazz baby who grows into a music-loving girl and how there is always a friend to be made. This book is great for ages 4-8.

13. One Love

Based on the classic song, One Love by the iconic artist Bob Marley, this picture book is written by the beloved musician’s daughter. Cedella Marley does a great job of turning her dad’s hit song into a lovable book for children!

14. This Magical, Musical Night 

This fun fictional story uses poetic text to tell the story of a symphony orchestra. The author uses musical terms throughout the book and includes a glossary as well. The diverse collection of characters works together to create a magical musical, complete with all different types of instruments. This book is geared towards ages 4-8.

15. My Family Plays Music

This Coretta Scott King Award-winning children’s book is a fun story of a young girl who tries out many different instruments with her family. Early elementary children will enjoy the paper-cut illustrations and colorful diversity of this book, as well as a glossary of musical terms.

16. Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo

John Lithgow penned a fun and adventurous story about a boy who dreams about animals taking over a musical concert. The digital artwork and humor throughout make this book exciting and engaging for young readers aged 2-6.

17. Drum Dream Girl

Inspired by a Chinese-African-Cuban girl’s childhood, this story tells of how girls can be drummers too and ultimately came to be accepted on a small island long ago. This award-winning book shows a young girl’s bravery and determination and is especially great for all elementary-aged students.

18. 88 Instruments 

When a young boy gets the option of choosing an instrument at the music store, he realizes that the possibilities are great and he struggles to choose just one! Through watercolor art and humor, the story of this young boy is one that keeps elementary-aged readers interested!

19. Because 

Music can open the door for amazing things to happen. In this sweet story, beautiful artwork complements the text and paves an inspiring sequence of events. Best suited for older elementary kids, this would be a great book to use when teaching cause and effect as well.

20. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin!

A perfect contribution to classical music, this book begins with a trombone and adds other instruments throughout the story until there is an orchestra playing together. Winning the Caldecott Honor, this counting book can be used across the curriculum!

21. Wild Symphony

Uniquely written through rhyme and combined with colorful and detailed illustrations, this book includes hidden animals throughout. This musically minded book would be sure to be a hit as a read aloud to young elementary children .

22. Music is in Everything

Heartfelt illustrations accompany a sweet story about the fact that a beautiful song can be made with your voice, even if you don't have an instrument. Written by Ziggy Marley, son of the iconic artist Bob Marley, this musician brings a sweet story to life! Perfect for elementary-aged children.

23. When Step Met Skip

This is a fantastic book to use when introducing children to music. It turns notes into characters and helps teach students about the basics of reading music through a sweet friendship of two cute characters. This book is best for younger elementary-aged readers.

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Children’s Books

A great partner in the music classroom.

By NAfME Member Suzanne Hall

This article first appeared in the March 2023 issue of  Music Educators Journal .

Do you indulge in reading literature for personal enjoyment? Perhaps you are a collector of children’s books because of the diversity of topics or the colorful illustrations that capture your eye as you saunter through a bookstore. Alternatively, maybe you are captivated by the story told by the pages lying between the front and back covers.

I challenge you to consider that this love for literature can accompany music teachers in the classroom. Language arts teachers are not the only educators who can use stories and text as a vehicle for learning. Children’s literature in the elementary music classroom promotes imaginative play and contributes to exposure and dramatic arts involvement. Children love stories and enjoy being read to, and adding music to stories elevates them to another realm where the adventures come alive.

Why Children’s Books for Music Learning?

Children’s literature, including picture books, can be appropriate for any age level and can help students understand complex concepts, such as music. It can also engage students in music learning. Students garner a deeper comprehension of both the text and music when bringing children’s literature to life, and reading aloud enhances students’ enjoyment of the arts. Language arts acquisition and music acquisition share many commonalities, including sound discrimination, fluency, and comprehension, but the list of commonalities increases when discussing children’s books. Here are examples.

Children’s books provide opportunities for melodic and rhythmic reinforcement. The  Froggy  series by Johnathon London includes songs in the text, making it evident that Froggy, the main character, loves to sing. Music teachers can add a simple melody to the text or have students create their own melodies for the text.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  by Bill Martin, Jr., can be a simple call-and-response song that allows students to reinforce the  sol–la–mi  pattern:

Children’s books also offer opportunities to develop music analysis, a challenging skill for some students. Students can use story elements to understand and describe music, making the musical concepts easier to grasp.

Let us consider the elements of a story. It begins with an author who contemplates an idea. This idea may expand to include a setting, plot, characters, conflict, and resolution. These elements are woven together to bring the idea (story) to life. The same concepts can be applied to assist students in analyzing music. For example, “Spring” from the  Four Seasons  by Antonio Vivaldi is a program piece that tells the story of two birds on a spring day. Using a story analysis chart, students can describe how the music reflects elements of a story. Students can discuss characters (bird—violin solos) and a change in setting (thunder and lightning represented by the brief shift to the minor key). This analysis can offer support for understanding abstract terms (e.g., dissonant [conflict] vs. consonant [resolution]). As a bonus, students can discuss how music and poetry can work hand in hand by reading the sonnets from which the piece is composed. Four sonnets were published with the original publication of the  Four Seasons  in 1725. [1]  It is believed that Vivaldi wrote the sonnets that inspired the orchestral work. A sonnet accompanies each movement to tell the story of the seasons both musically and through the written word.

The following activities provide a snapshot of how music and children’s literature can create an in-depth musical experience.

Five Green and Speckled Frogs   (K–1)

Retold and illustrated by Priscilla Burris

Music objective :  (1) The learner will demonstrate tempo changes through movement. (2) The learner will dramatize the CD version (which reinforces expression) and compare and contrast it with a book version.

• Introduce the song  Five Green and Speckled Frogs (from the Kimbo Educational CD). Have students make predictions about the story by looking at the illustrations on the front cover. (Anticipated responses include frogs, swimming, etc.)
• Select five students to be frogs and ten to be the pond (the rest can sing and pat the steady beat).
• Pass out masks and/or frog hats to the frog students and long strips of blue cloth to the ten students who will be the pond’s waves.
• Play  Five Green and Speckled Frogs track (from the Kimbo Educational CD) and have the students dramatize the song. As the music plays, encourage the students to move the strips of cloth as waves to reflect the music’s tempo. When “One jumped into the pool” is heard, have a student “frog” jump in the water. The student can move or make swimming motions to music. By the end of the piece, five students should be moving among the waves.
• After the dramatization, ask the following: What happened to the music as it played?  (It got faster.)
• Listen to the song again and have students demonstrate the change in tempo by patting the steady beat on their knees.
• Listen to the song one more time and have students follow along with the book.
• Compare and contrasts the lyrics and the text (Then vs. Now, “Yum” changes to “Crunch, Munch,” etc.).
• Extend the learning by comparing and contrasting different melodies with their book counterparts. Consider using a Venn diagram to help students visually see the comparisons. Examples include the following:
• Eensy Weensy Spider (Mary Ann Hoberman)
• I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie (Allison Jackson)
• Five Little Monkeys (Kimbo Educational; Track 13)

The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything (Grades 2–3)

By Linda Williams; illustrated by Megan Lloyd

Adding sound effects to any children’s book makes the abstract details of a story manageable to grasp. In the story  The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything , the little old lady walks through a scary forest. On the surface, students can grasp this narrative through the illustrations and text. However, hearing a scary forest and the creepy sounds the different clothing pieces make helps students understand the little old lady’s fear and why she begins to walk faster and faster.

Music Objective :  (1) The learner will perform sound effects to a story. (2) The learner will perform rhythms that include quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rest.

• Discuss the role of sound effects in cinema, television, and radio.
• Tell students that they will be adding sound effects to the story.
• Assign students to play the rhythms of the following terms on instruments. Read the story and add the sound effects each time the words appear in the text. (For added effect, play  Martha Stewart Living; Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween as a background accompaniment to the reading; 2000, Rhino ASIN: B00004WJ6F.)  
• Clomp, clomp (two shoes)—Hand drum
• Wiggle, wiggle (pants)—Guiro
• Shake, shake (shirt)—Maracas
• Clap, clap (gloves)—Castanets
• Nod, nod (hat)—Triangle
• Boo, boo (head)—Thunder sheet
• After reading, have students pair the terms with the rhythmic notation.

The Spider and the Fly (Grades 4–5)

By Tony DiTerlizzi

The Spider and the Fly  is the perfect story to introduce the function of harmony, specifically how consonant and dissonant sounds can create a setting or mood. In this activity, the accompaniment creates the ominous feeling of the sly spider attempting to lure the innocent fly deeper into her lair in hopes of having the fly for her next meal.

Music Objective :  Students will perform a simple accompaniment to a story.

• Introduce  Spider’s Song to students:

• Discuss the ascending pattern on the words “way up my winding stairs.”
• On pitched instruments, have some students play the ascending pattern to accompany the song. (Add a stroke on the triangle to represent the fly.)
• After singing the song, add the following sequence as the extension of the Spider’ song:

• Read the story and have students perform the musical accompaniment after the spider speaks on each page. For the last time, exclude the sound of the fly to represent the absence of the fly.
• Discuss how the musical sequence adds a sense of tension and anxiety that supports the eeriness of the text. Using the xylophone, demonstrate the sound tension by playing dissonant pitches together (e.g., B/C, E/F). Demonstrate consonant harmony as a resolution (e.g., B/C → C/G, E/F → E/C).

The illustrations in  The Spider and the Fly  provide significant insight into the story (the hallmark of an effective picture book), so much so that the text does not explicitly say the fly meets her demise. Instead, the reader can infer this occurred by the picture of the fly as a ghost. This concept parallels how music also supports visual stories, such as with movies in which the music prepares you for a scary moment or enhances an exhilarating car chase.

Music activities that involve children’s books can be fun and engaging and offer a new level of exposure to what music-making is. The breadth of experience can be vast, from seeing how harmony can reflect the setting or mood to how a simple melody can launch a storyline of an entire composition. Such experiences can be used to help review music elements and also reveal how elements can function in different ways. The activities in this article are a few ways you can use books in the music classroom and a fantastic way to merge your own love for literature with your love for music.

About the author:

Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program?  Share them on Amplify!  Interested in reprinting this article? Please  review the reprint guidelines .

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.

April 14, 2023. © National Association for Music Education ( NAfME.org )

[1] Nicholas Lockey, “Antonio Vivaldi and the Sublime Seasons: Sonority and Texture as Expressive Devices in Early Eighteenth-Century Italian Music,”  Eighteenth Century Music  14, no. 2 (2017): 265–83.

Published Date

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)

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Oodles of Music

The Best Children’s Literature for the Music Classroom

A list of books from newly published to classics for the music classroom with links, music connections, activities, and lesson plans!

If you are looking for captivating books that seamlessly blend literature and music in your classroom, look no further! This e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g list of recommended books will provide musical connections information and valuable lesson plan ideas. Whether you’re seeking to expand your library or searching for fresh ideas to enrich your music curriculum, find great ways to integrate literature into your music curriculum .

Table of Contents

The Bookstore | A Quick Reference Guide for the Year

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Thanksgiving

The Nutcracker & Ballet Books

MLK & Black History Month Favorites

• Martin’s Big Words is a classic. It shows Dr. King from baby to adult so great appeal to kids.
• Duke Ellington-ANYTHING by the Pinkney family is gold. Reading a biography followed by a music activity is meaningful.
• Trombone Shorty-a 21st-century artist and fantastic story
• Build a House-by musician Rhiannon Giddens fuses Black history and music.

December Favorites

Read-Aloud Videos

There’s nothing like reading the book in person but there can be great value too in using a quality read aloud video.

Check out some great videos with BONUS follow-up activities!

Perfect for the teacher, a sub, or a standalone learning center activity!

Book Reviews With Music Connections

The mitten by jan brett and more.

This Ukrainian folk tale has been rewritten by many authors. The most obvious music connection I found is the addition of animals to the mitten which just screams CUMULATIVE form. This resource has a single song with cumulative form OR the form could be the skeleton of an entire program where each animal is a section of the concert.

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Build A House by Rhiannon Giddens

Book review with LESSON PLANS, research links, and more!

TPT companion resource below, “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

• Grades 4-7  (These grades were chosen because of the instrumental parts. The melody can easily be sung by K-3)
• The book ends with a line from the song, “And I will not be moved.”
• Activities to teach the I, IV, V7 harmonies using  Orff  parts and ukulele.
• Perform using only Orff or only ukulele, or a combination.

The Secret of the Plátano by Luz Maria Mack

Set in the Dominican Republic, this gorgeous book is about the love between abuela and her grandson, and the magic of dancing and nature.

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson

“Fly Away” is a companion resource to “The Year We Learned to Fly.”

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Change Sings by Amanda Gorman

“The Change Is You” and “Change the World With Kindness” are companion resources to “Change Sings” by Amanda Gorman.

The Girl Who Heard Music by Marni Fogelsen with Mahani Teave

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The true story of award-winning pianist and environmental activist Mahani Teave and the beloved island she is helping to save.

A perfect read for K-5 about the power of music, environmentalism, and making a difference.

More about Mahani Teave on Wikipedia and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Part of the video is a tour of her music school created from trash.

Mahani would be an AMAZING Musician of the Week!

Ohana Means Family by Ilima Loomis

A great book about Hawaiian culture to use with multiple grade levels! K-2 can use movement and un-pitched percussion and grades 3-5 can use movement and barred instruments!

A song that would complement the learning in the book.

This old chant was set to music by Winona Beamer. The kahuli (tree snails) or pūpū kanioe (land shells) are the singing snails of legend.  Winona Beamer was a champion of authentic and ancient Hawaiian culture, publishing many books, musical scores, as well as audio and video recordings on the subject.

In My Heart by Jo Witek

Sun Wishes by Patricia Storms

Tapestry is the perfect companion resource to  “Sun Wishes” with its story of colors, weaving, layers, and in this case, a tapestry of sound!

Just Help by Sonia Sotomayor

Next books to be added:

• The Earth Gives More

Each new book addition will be announced in the Oodles Newsletter

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5 thoughts on “The Best Children’s Literature for the Music Classroom”

Good morning, I can only click on the bottom two pictures even going to the actual page in your blog. Should that be the case? I was hoping there would be more than one book to get ideas from (in the video).

Thanks for everything, Rachel

Sent from my iPhone

Rachel, sorry. This is a new directory for the blog and just in the beginning stages so there is only 1 right now. Because I recommend (by creating myself or linking others’ resources or general lesson plan ideas) it will become more than a list, but a true resource and takes me quite a while to create. I have in the draft stages the books Wutaryoo, Just Help (by Judge Sotomayor), and In My Heart. Coming up also-Ohana Means Family and The Earth Gives More. I will let everyone know through my Oodles Newsletter when those become available but the plan is to complete the first set in the next two weeks and then the rest by the middle of July. I’d like to get a good number on there before the start of the next school year and then just continue to add. Also, I’m trying to create with books that are pretty current releases if not newly released and easily complement a music curriculum. Thank you so much for asking about it!

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Music & Drama » Music

Best music books for kids, recommended by meurig and rachel bowen.

The School of Music by Meurig and Rachel Bowen & Rachel Bowen

Have you heard that music is good for children but don't know where to begin? Musicians Meurig and Rachel Bowen recommend the best music books for children.

Interview by Zoe Greaves

The Children's Book of Music

The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo

Ella Bella Ballerina and Swan Lake by James Mayhew

Why Beethoven Threw The Stew by Steven Isserlis

Audio CD: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten

1 The Children's Book of Music

2 the mozart question by michael morpurgo, 3 ella bella ballerina and swan lake by james mayhew, 4 why beethoven threw the stew by steven isserlis, 5 audio cd: the young person's guide to the orchestra by benjamin britten.

Y ou are a husband and wife team with a great combination of skills and experience which you’ve drawn on to create your recent book for kids,  The School of Music .

Rachel : Meurig has experience in the professional world of music but he has less experience with children! I’m a music teacher so, that’s where I come in, I reckon I understand children and have experience teaching them.

It’s a very lively book and impressively comprehensive. Can you tell me a bit more about how you went about putting it together?

Meurig : The idea was to create a ‘lesson book’ – and a complete introduction to the world of music. The book is divided into three sections; and within this into forty individual lessons. For Term 1 in The School of Music we explore listening to music – and appreciating music in the broadest sense.

Rachel : This term was designed around the idea of first falling in love with music.

Meurig : Term 2, which Rachel mostly wrote, is about the building blocks of music, the theory of music, if you like. These are the things a child will need to know if they are studying for their grades – the Associated Boards Music Exams. Term 3 is a more freestyle section about participation and performance – this is the practical term – using everything you’ve learned from terms 1 and 2. It’s designed to help young people go about making their own music.

Rachel : We wanted to include all musical styles and from all around the world – so it’s not just about classical and popular music genres.

Why should we make sure our children are discovering music and learning an instrument or two?

Meurig : It’s well-known and backed up by umpteen scientific studies that music is good for you, for the brain and the body.

Rachel : From my point of view, in schools, there is nothing better than hearing a whole school singing their hearts out. Singing releases endorphins which make you happier. We cover all the benefits of engaging with music in our book in more detail – but, essentially, music has benefits for maths, language and development as well as general well-being. It’s also great for concentration, coordination and confidence. My experience as a music teacher in schools absolutely confirms this.

Meurig : It’s an important subject, and we feel that it should be at the centre of education, not at the edges and seen as nice-to-have. Funding is piecemeal and de-prioritised and it’s very frustrating for us in the business to be aware that nowhere near enough children, in the state sector at least, are getting a rounded, nutritious musical education.

Rachel : I teach mainly in a private school, where music is very highly respected and prioritised in the curriculum. I teach children from the age of 1 to 13. It’s a great privilege for those children to have that kind of teaching. It is sad to know that state schools can’t or don’t provide anything like this.

“Music is an important subject, and we feel that it should be at the centre of education”

Meurig : One of the things we’ve noticed in recent years is that there are far fewer pianos or keyboards in schools and far fewer teachers who can play them. Once you’ve got a human being playing a piano in front of children, playing in the moment, being able to respond to the singing of those children, it is a completely different thing to turning on a CD. Every state primary has to have a music coordinator. But very often that music coordinator doesn’t feel confident delivering that role fully. We recognised this at the Cheltenham Music Festival , so two years ago we set up a project called Musicate which is a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) project designed to build teachers confidence.

Rachel : The programme shows them the skills they need to run a confident music session – even if they aren’t musicians themselves.

Meurig : We’d love to see this programme rolled out across the country to seed a sense of empowerment among teachers and really get behind music in every school. It would be transformational, but it would be expensive.

Are the books (and a piece of music) you’ve chosen to recommend for children who are already into music, or to help parents inspire their children to get more excited about music?

Rachel : A bit of both. The Dorling Kindersley title is probably not a starter book – ours fits that bill for younger readers, roughly aged 7-13. The others, depending on the age of the reader, could easily be the initial inspiration or the trigger for deeper engagement.

Music is a broad subject. How have you chosen your five books?

And , The Children’s Book of Music  is your first choice – so perhaps this is a good place to start talking about it?

Meurig : If you consider our book as a first colourful primer – the next book we’d recommend is this one. Ours is a quirky introduction to music, with, we hope a light touch, whereas this takes you further into the subject. It is thoughtfully put-together and well-constructed. The editorial contributors are all serious musicians who really know their stuff making it a very impressive family reference book.

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Rachel : If a 7-13 year old has read our book and wants to move on to something more extensive then this is the book for them. It’s full of fantastic photographs whereas ours is illustrated – brilliantly, we think, by Daniel Frost. It’s a great reference book.

“ If you read this cover to cover you’ll learn everything you need to know about music ”

Next on your list is a work of fiction for 9-12 year old readers, The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo .

Meurig : I first came across this when it was offered to me as an event at the Cheltenham Festival a few years ago. The story was beautifully transformed into an hour-long musical event for children and families.

This is a book that introduces children to music, to Vivaldi, to Mozart, to a virtuoso violinist, and to a horrific chapter in 20th century history, the Holocaust and the effect it had on the Jewish diaspora. It’s a beautiful piece of storytelling and the music is completely embedded and entwined in the story. It’s a real tear jerker, especially when you’re listening to the music at the same time as reading the book. It pulls you into music through emotionally powerful writing.

Your third choice is Ella Bella Ballerina  by James Mayhew. This is for much younger children, from 2-3 years old up.

Rachel : I love these books. Apart from the fact that James Mayhew is a wonderful illustrator and can bring these stories to life visually, he retells the stories of the ballet in a way that inspires.

“ James Mayhew puts music centre stage in his books”

Your next book choice is  Why Beethoven Threw the Stew by Steven Isserlis – this book is great for slightly older kids, 9 years and upwards.

Meurig : Steven Isserlis is one of the most important cellists in the world at the moment. This book is made up of the biographies of six of his favourite composers. It’s basically a chapter on each: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Stravinsky. I’d say the ideal age group is around 9-13 years old. These books are full of anecdotes and humour. Steven Isserlis brings, what could be perceived as dusty museum like, figures completely to life in a really engaging and entertaining way.

“These composers were living, breathing, passionate, flawed and entertaining people who drank, laughed and loved like the rest of us. ”

Rachel : His books are full of his personality. There is something very warm about these portraits of composers. His passion for the music and his knowledge of it shines through completely.

Finally, we decided that in an interview about music we should include a listening choice for young people. You’ve selected Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra . Tell me about it.

Britten takes a tune from one of his musical forebears, Henry Purcell – it’s a simple tune that was written in about 1690 – and writes a series of orchestral variations on this piece and hands out those separate variations to different sections of the orchestra to play as a means of introducing individual section of the orchestra.

I’d say this piece is ideal for listeners of about 9 upwards. It a springboard for further listening. It’s such a pompous buttoned-up title from another age. Which could be off-putting – especially if you look at the original film with Sir Malcolm Sargent introducing each piece – it’s really dated. But if you take that out of the equation this is an incredible piece of music.

It’s a simple idea and if it hadn’t been done by a genius like Britten it would have fallen flat on its face. Britten did amazing things with that simple tune. He made it entertaining and vigorous and incredibly engaging. If you imagine a drone camera flying around and honing-in really closely on different parts of the orchestra as you listen to it.

Rachel : That’s a great idea! Essentially, it’s a brilliant piece of music. Get The Children’s Book of Music  out in front of you (and our book!) and hear – in quite a compact period of time – what all those instrumental sections sound like. You really can’t do any better than listen to the Britten.

Meurig : When the Purcell tune comes back at the end it is just a glorious moment. I always turn the hi-fi up to maximum and just bathe in that.

Rachel : For under 9s, we would recommend Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf , for a similar experience.

Which reminds me that you have kindly put together a list of further listening for us. 

Meurig: The holy trinity of orchestral music for children is the Britten, Saint Saens’s Le Carnaval des Animaux and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf . These pieces have just never been bettered yet.

Rachel: In Peter and the Wolf , Prokofiev attached particular instruments and musical motifs to individual characters and animals. It’s pictorial music for children.

Meurig : I’m not sure enough children are hearing these amazing pieces in their primary schools today – so I hope that recommending them here will be a way of getting these pieces into their heads and their imaginations.

FROM SPOTIFY:

Prokofiev,  Peter and the Wolf

Saint Saens,  Le Carnaval des Animaux  

Handel, Zadok the Priest

Holst, “Mars, The Bringer of War” from The Planets

Beethoven, Symphony No 6, Pastoral

Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker

Mozart, “Queen of the Night” arias from The Magic Flute 

Grainger/Bach, Blithe Bells/Sheep May Safely Graze

Amy Beach, Romance for violin and piano

Chopin, E tude Op.10 No 1

Puccini, “ Nessun Dorma” aria from Turandot

Humperdinck, “ When At Night I Go To Sleep” (Evening Song from Hansel and Gretel)

April 25, 2018

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

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Meurig and Rachel Bowen

After ten years as Director of the Cheltenham Music Festival, Meurig Bowen has recently taken up a new role heading up the artistic planning for BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Rachel Bowen is busily engaged in music education in schools and as an admired director of youth and community choirs.

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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© Five Books 2024

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Children’s Books About Musical Instruments

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The Story Orchestra: The Magic Flute illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle To rescue the princess of the Queen of the Night, Prince Tamino breaks into the Sun King’s palace. He plays the magic flute to charm the court and rescues the princess. While you read the opera’s retelling, press the button to hear the Mozart score.

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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20 Great Books About Music for Young Readers

Mikkaka Overstreet

Mikkaka Overstreet is from Louisville, Kentucky by way of Saginaw “Sagnasty”, Michigan. She has been an educator since 2006 and earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in 2015. By day she is a mild-mannered literacy specialist. By night she sleeps. In between, she daydreams, writes fiction, and reads books. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and cats.

View All posts by Mikkaka Overstreet

Great books about music for young readers are certainly not in short supply. If you love music and books, then this post is for you! Although our musical tastes may vary, we can all agree that music is a powerful art form. Music provides the soundtracks for our biggest memories and our everyday moments. Check out these great children’s and YA books about music for the tuneful tots, tweens, and teens in your life.

Great Picture Books About Music

The Story of Rock by the Editors of Caterpillar Books

This adorable board book is part of a longer series covering various genres of music. It features a simple rhyme scheme, along with super cute cartoon renderings of some of our favorite rockstars. Introduce your baby to Bowie, the Beatles, and more.

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

This super fun rhyming story is for the awkward giraffe in all of us. Gerald the giraffe had skinny crooked legs that make dancing a challenge. Nevertheless, he learns to boogie to his own beat. Gerald will inspire you and your kiddos to dance hard and dream big.

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews and Bryan Collier

This beautiful picture book tells the story of Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. This true tale follows the musician from a 6-year-old band leader to the Grammy-nominated artist he is today. It’s a great lesson in overcoming obstacles and following your dreams.

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Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Rafael López

Inspired by a true story, Drum Dream Girl follows a Chinese-African-Cuban drummer who broke all of the rules. Long ago, girls couldn’t be drummers in Cuba. Consequently, Millo Castro Zalderriaga had to practice in secret. However, when Millo finally shared her talent, everyone agreed it was time for everyone to be free to drum.

The Deaf Musicians by Pete Seeger, Paul Dubois Jacobs, and R. Gregory Christie

After he loses his hearing, jazz musician Lee can no longer play piano with his band. Luckily, he goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets other former musicians Max and Rose. Soon, the three are making music again!

Great Early Chapter Books about Music

A Horn for Louis by Eric A. Kimmel and James Bernardin

If you’re looking for great children’s books about music for the more advanced young readers in your life, this early chapter book fits the bill. It tells the story of young Louis Armstrong. At 7 years old, Louis is too poor to even buy a real instrument. Instead of going to school, Louis works all day on a junk wagon to help his mother pay rent. Eventually, Louis sees a trumpet in a pawn shop window. Learn how poor Louis became a legend in this inspiring tale.

Mylo and Max Break the World by Scott Charles

When 10-year-old Max Chu decides his music instructor is evil, he wishes for a way out of performing in his big concert. Unfortunately, Mylo Zapp is the creature who hears Max’s wish. Mylo is an aspiring entrepreneur who isn’t supposed to grant wishes or even leave his home planet, but he convinces Max that he can help with the evil music teacher. Soon, magical twists are ruining everything and reality is spiraling out of control. Max will have to overcome his fears and face the big stage if he wants to save the world.

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden and Garth Williams

This old favorite follows Chester Cricket, Tucker Mouse, and Harry Cat on their adventures in New York City. Chester is from Connecticut and is new to town. Lost and wanting to explore, he meets the others in Times Square and they become friends. Soon, they discover that even though Chester is a country cricket, he has a hidden talent that could teach New Yorkers a thing or two.

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White and Fred Marcellino

This is one of the great children’s books about music that has been around for a long time. The 50-year-old tale introduces us to a family of trumpeter swans. Sadly, Louis is unable to trumpet like the rest of his family. Fortunately, Louis’s father finds him a real brass trumpet. Now Louis has a chance to express himself and maybe even find love.

Moonlight on the Magic Flute by Mary Pope Osbourne and Sal Murdocca

As one of the bestselling chapter books series of all time, the Magic Tree House books are familiar to many readers. The series follows Jack and Annie as they travel through time having amazing adventures. This book sends our protagonists to 18th century Austria, where they try to find and help a musician named Mozart. Unfortunately, the hunt isn’t easy, especially since a naughty little boy keeps getting in their way. Jack and Annie have to use all of their magic to get out of this mess!

Great Middle Grades Children’s Books about Music

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly

This great children’s book about music centers on 12-year-old Apple Yengko. A prevalent theme of this story is cultural identity. Filipino American Apple is too American by her mother’s standards, but not American enough in the eyes of others. When Apple’s friends abandon her and she feels completely alone, she turns to her guitar. As she learns to play, Apple discovers new friends and new revelations about who she really is.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

This is another title that showcases the beauty of #OwnVoices literature . Amina grapples with the challenges of fitting in and making/losing friends in middle school. As a Pakistani American, Amina wonders if she needs to change in order to be accepted. The question takes on greater weight when someone vandalizes her local mosque. Instead of changing, Amina decides to use her beautiful voice to help unite her diverse community. Amina’s story continues in Amina’s Song .

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

This heart-wrenching story follows 13-year-old Genesis, a girl who is used to starting over. Her family is regularly evicted because of her father’s habit of gambling away the rent money. What’s worse, her father and others in her family criticize Genesis for her dark skin. Their taunts contribute to Genesis’s ever growing list of things she hates about herself. However, when Genesis starts a new school, she finds people that like her — including a choir teacher who sees her talent.

Jake the Fake Keeps it Real by Craig Robinson, Adam Mansbach, and Keith Knight

This book is an absolute laugh riot from actor and comedian Craig Robinson and screenwriter Adam Mansbach. Jake, our protagonist, fakes his way into the Music and Art Academy by playing the only song he knows on the piano. It’ll take all his wit to keep people from finding out that he has no idea what he’s doing. The fast-paced and funny story is complemented by Keith Knight’s hilarious illustrations.

The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston

In this list of great children’s books about music, this is one of the sweetest. Ten-year-old Cadence is dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s desertion. Though Cadence’s mother has left to pursue her dreams of being a singing star, Cadence can’t deny that she inherited her mother’s musical prowess. Unlike her mother, Cadence is shy and reluctant to share her gift — until someone leaks a recording of her singing and her entire church hears it.

Great Young Adult Books about Music

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

In a story ripped right from 2019’s headlines, 17-year-old aspiring singer Enchanted thinks she’s found her golden opportunity. Suddenly, superstar Korey Fields is not only managing Enchanted, but the two are “dating.” The nearly 30-year-old singer quickly takes advantage of Enchanted’s trust. What follows is a disturbing tale of manipulation, abuse, and a searing critique of rape culture. Like many of Jackson’s books, this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

Solo by Kwame Alexander

Blade Morrison is nothing like his rock star father. Rutherford is a has-been with a serious drug problem. Conversely, his son wants nothing but a simple life with his girlfriend, Chapel. Unfortunately, fearing Blade’s musical talent and his father’s reputation, Chapel’s parents forbid the relationship. When Blade uncovers a devastating family secret, he is left with questions, a mysterious letter, and a ticket to Ghana.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich

In this forthcoming queer YA romance, famous boy-band Saturday delight their fans as only teen heartthrobs can. However, 18-year-old Zach feels trapped by management’s demands that he keep his sexuality a secret. Moreover, he and his fellow band member (and best friend) Ruben soon develop feelings for each other. Consequently, they have to face the consequences of being out in the public eye. Preorder this December release now!

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Observer.com called this hilarious story “ Misery for the Belieber generation.” It has even garnered comparisons to the cult classic movie Heathers . So, what happens when a group of best friends and superfans accidentally kidnap a member of their favorite boy band? This darkly humorous tale is full of pop culture references and laugh-out-loud moments.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

The incomparable Angie Thomas introduces us to another strong, Black girl protagonist in this follow-up to the bestseller The Hate U Give. Bri just wants to be a great rapper. Unfortunately, she has a lot of challenges standing in the way of her dreams. She lives in the shadow of her underground hip-hop legend father, who was murdered right before making it big. Moreover, her mother, who struggles to make ends meet, wants Bri to focus on her education and a more viable career. How will Bri ever find her voice amid all the others trying to tell her who she should be?

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10 Inspiring Children’s Books About Music

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Music is one of the many ways that children learn about themselves and the world around them. Not only is music fun for your child to clap along to, it also helps them develop essential skills as part of early childhood education. Here is a selection of inspiring children’s books about music that every young child should own. 

Early Learning Areas: Why Children Love All Things Music

Whether it is singing along to nursery rhymes or grooving together each time you play your favorite tunes in the kitchen, young children naturally notice sound everywhere. They, like all of us, recognize how powerful music can be as both a natural mood booster and a creative avenue to express their emotions. 

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While it is undeniable that it is a fun activity for all, the benefits of music for children go much deeper. As part of early learning, music acts as a way for toddlers and young kids to hone developmental skills such as communication skills, fine motor skills, literacy skills, imagination, and more. It is for this reason that parents are encouraged to ignite a love of music in their children from an early age. 

10 Inspiring Musical Books For Toddlers and Young Kids You Won’t Want to Miss

Looking for ways to encourage your child’s interest in music? One of the best ways to do that is by combining their love of sound with their love of picture books. Musical books or sound books for toddlers and children will help open your child’s eyes to the world of music in a fun and engaging way. 

Our team is a big fan of all things music and reading. Both activities play a large role in the day-to-day life at Vivvi. For that reason, we’ve put together our list of favorite children’s books about music. 

1. Animal Orchestra by Ilo Orleans

Full of rhymes, melodies, and pure silliness, Animal Orchestra by Ilo Orleans is a perfect read-aloud children’s music book. Featuring characters such as a hippo conductor and a symbol playing bear, your young child is given a front-row seat to one of the most exciting and exotic musical orchestras around. Thanks to its rhyming text and colorful pictures, this book is suitable for many ages. (Available at Barnes & Noble ). 

2. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Christopher Raschka

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Christopher Raschka is the perfect introduction for children to the genre of jazz music. Packed full of clever rhymes and whimsical illustrations, it follows the story of a saxophone player and jazz legend called Charlie Parker and his pet cat. The author expertly uses alliteration throughout the story to mimic the pulsating beats and melodies of bebop. 

A great addition to storytime that your child is guaranteed to love. (Available at Barnes & Noble and ThriftBooks ).

3. Allegro: A Musical Journey Through 11 Musical Masterpieces by David Miles

This beautifully illustrated push-button musical book takes both child and parent on a magical journey through 11 timeless classic masterpieces. Following Allegro, an ordinary boy that gets very frustrated practicing piano, until one day the little black musical notes on the page transport him on an exciting and breathtaking journey. 

This book by David Miles features classics such as Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” and Greig’s “Morning Mood”. While the story may be hard to follow for toddlers, the lavish illustrations and high-quality music are enough to grab their attention. (Available at McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers and Barnes & Noble ). 

4. The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine

The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine is an exciting introduction to each of the instruments found in an orchestra. Full of eye-catching illustrations, this engaging musical book for toddlers is broken into three sections: an introduction to each instrument, the story of a famous composer, and an introduction to different musical styles. 

Accompanied by a 70-minute CD, this is the perfect children’s book about music. Listen to the sound of cellos, flutes, and timpanis as you follow along on this fun, musical journey for young children. (Available at McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers ). 

5. Wheels on the Bus by Raffi

Raffi’s Songs to Read book series is full of the rhymes, repetitions, and rhythm that are a key part of laying the foundation for essential early learning skills such as speech, reading, and listening. This sing-aloud picture book is a delightful rendition of the classic, popular song. With bright, colorful illustrations it is a beautiful way for parents and children to bond while learning a new song. (Available at Barnes & Noble ). 

6. Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez

Based on an inspiring true story, Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez tells the story of a young girl who breaks the rules of the music-filled island she lives on and fulfills her dreams of pounding on tall congas and creating drum beats on bongos. Not only does the vivid artwork perfectly capture the energy of the music but the poetic nature of the text makes it a captivating and beautiful tale. (Available at Barnes & Noble ). 

7. Jazz Baby by Carole Boston Weatherford

Introduce your children to the genre of jazz with this beautifully illustrated musical book for toddlers. Packed to the brim with rhythmic text and vibrant images of children dancing and singing, this children’s book perfectly portrays the happiness that music can bring. (Available at ThriftBooks ). 

8. Music Is… by Brandon Stosuy

This gorgeous children’s book about music celebrates the artform in various concepts and styles. Bright, vivid images of people wearing headphones and playing all kinds of musical instruments reinforce basic musical concepts. This book also focuses on how music interacts with our senses and uses simplistic, yet clever language to teach opposites (e.g. quiet vs loud, slow vs fast etc.). Suitable for all ages, this book is an ideal resource for teaching your child the basics of music. (Available at ThriftBooks ). 

9. I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello by Barbara S. Garriel

A must-have for the young reader that loves music, I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello by Barbara S.Garriel is a hilarious picture book that introduces musical instruments through whimsical illustrations and a laugh out loud storyline. Telling the story of a shy man who suddenly has the urge to eat a cello, this musical book for toddlers is the perfect mixture of melodious fun and musical education. We dare every reader to try not to smile after finishing this book. (Available at Barnes & Noble ).  

10. The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day by Katie Cotton

Lastly, The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day by Katie Cotton is another beautiful push-button music book that effortlessly brings children on a journey of classical music. The story follows a little girl called Isabelle and her adorable dog, Pickle, as they discover each of the seasons in one day. Playing 10 enchanting excerpts from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, this delightful book perfectly captures the beauty of nature while bringing classical music to life. (Available at Barnes & Noble ). 

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Children's books with a musical theme : Elementary--PreK to 2nd

• Elementary--PreK to 2nd

Before 2010

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• Last Updated: Mar 4, 2024 2:34 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.stanford.edu/childrens_books_music

Children's books and activities

Music and musicians.

Many kids love to sing, write songs, play music, and even create their own homemade instruments. And some children are curious about the lives of famous singers, songwriters, and musicians. We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about music and musicians.

Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as music and musicians. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge , vocabulary , and comprehension skills.

You might also want to explore our free toolkit: Tune In!

How to explore this theme:

• Read fiction and nonfiction books
• Try some hands-on activities
• Build writing skills with these fun ideas
• Dig deeper with kid-friendly websites
• Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids
• Play and learn with mobile apps

More themed resources:

• Growing Readers tip sheets (English & Spanish)
• Video interviews with children’s authors
• Washington DC for kids

Other topics to explore

• Art and Artists
• Family and Community
• Geography, Travel and Cultures

Is your public library closed?

See if your public library offers OverDrive where you can borrow and read free ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines on your phone or tablet — all you need is your library card to get access. There are also a number of online services that offer high-quality audiobooks and ebooks: Audible for Kids , Tales2Go , and Epic!. Learn more: Finding Audiobooks and Ebooks .

Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books

Age Level: 3-6 years old

A Neighborhood Walk, a Musical Journey

By: Pilar Winter Hill

"Honk-honk, tweet-tweet, patter-patter!" This sweet, fun read-aloud drums up nostalgia for all...

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A Tisket, a Tasket

By: Ella Fitzgerald

The song made famous by jazz great Ella Fitzgerald in the 1930s has been re-created, re-...

Bats in the Band

By: Brian Lies

When the bats awaken from winter hibernation, not only do their stomachs grumble, they are...

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane

By: Carole Boston Weatherford

John's music began when he listened to the music in his childhood. Semi-abstract...

Ben's Trumpet

By: Rachel Isadora

Ben wants to be a trumpeter, but he plays only an imaginary instrument until one of the...

Bird & Diz

By: Gary Gallo

Presents a rhythmic tribute to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and their creation of bebop....

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop

By: Chris Raschka

Inspired by jazz great Charlie Parker, rhythm and repetition are woven together to create a...

Dooby Dooby Moo

By: Doreen Cronin

When Duck reads about an upcoming talent show at the county fair, he organizes the animals on...

By: Thea Guidone

A young boy begins banging on pots and pans in his front yard, enticing other children to join...

By: Jo Knowles

One summer day, as Little Worm heads out to play, he discovers he has a song stuck in his head...

Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist

By: Susan Wood

Meet Juan García Esquivel whose contributions to music can still be heard. From his early days...

Every Little Thing

By: Bob Marley, Cedella Marley

In this illustrated version of Bob Marley's song, a young boy, with the encouragement of three...

Forever Young

By: Bob Dylan

Since it first appeared on the 1974 album Planet Waves, "Forever Young" has been one of Bob...

Gus and Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar

By: Keith Richards

Long before there was a band, there was a boy: a young Keith Richards, who was introduced to the...

By: Jonathan London

A cool cat named Oobie-Do moves to San Francisco, plays his saxophone and works as a short order...

Hip Hop Dog

A mutt tells reveals a "doggy allegory" and how he went from "the saddest and the...

I Got the Rhythm

By: Connie Scholfield-Morrison

On a sunny day, a child and her mother go for a walk in the park. The rhythm the girl hears in...

By: Lisa Wheeler

Baby and his family make some jazzy music.

Kenya's Song

By: Linda Trice

Kenya is looking for a favorite song to share with her class. She and her father attend a...

Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals

By: Ashley Bryan

Three well known spirituals, "This Little Light of Mine," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and...

Let's Play!

By: Gabriel Alborozo

From the tinkling tones of the tiny piccolo to the majesty of the grand piano or the deep...

Little Pig Joins the Band

By: David Hyde Costello

Little Pig has trouble keeping up with his older--and bigger--brothers and sisters. When they...

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll

By: Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

A picture-book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the woman who invented rock and roll — a warm...

Manuelo, the Playing Mantis

By: Don Freeman

A praying mantis who longs to make music gets help from a spider name Debby Webster.

By: David McPhail

Feeling that something is missing in his simple life, Mole acquires a violin and learns to make...

Music, Music for Everyone

By: Vera Williams

When Rosa's grandmother becomes sick, Rosa comes up with an idea that not only makes...

Musical Instruments Series

By: Xist Publishing

Describes instruments, their parts, the different types, and how they are played.

Olivia Forms a Band

By: Ian Falconer

When Olivia learns that there will be no band at the evening's fireworks display, she decides to...

By: Cedella Marley

In this illustrated version of Bob Marley's song, a young girl enlists her friends, family, and...

Peter and the Wolf

By: Chris Raschka, Sergei Prokofiev

Retells the orchestral fairy tale in which a boy ignores his grandfather's warnings and captures...

Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum

By: Robert Andrew Parker

The story of young Art Tatum, who became one of the all-time greats of jazz.

By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka

At the end of the day, while Farmer Joe gets ready for bed, his animals tune their instruments...

Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

By: Sergei Prokofiev

Despite Grandfather's warning about wolves in the forest, Peter and his animal friends capture...

Shake, Rattle & Turn That Noise Down!

By: Mark Alan Stamaty

Recounts the author's childhood determination to emulate Elvis Presley after being inspired by...

The Orchestra Pit

By: Johanna Wright

Even though the green-spotted snake wanders into the wrong pit – an orchestra pit – he takes the...

This Jazz Man

By: Karen Ehrhardt

Presents an introduction to jazz music and nine well-known jazz musicians, set to the rhythm of...

This Land is Your Land

By: Woodie Guthrie

Guthrie's folk song begins a journey across the United States. Highly detailed, richly colored...

Tito Puente, Mambo King

By: Monica Brown

By: Bryan Collier

Join a boy as he takes you uptown to introduce his Harlem home, filled with excitement, sounds,...

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson

By: Pam Muñoz Ryan

Marian Anderson was an extraordinary contralto whose talent was celebrated in Europe long before...

Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People

By: Bonnie Christensen

An introductory biography of famous folk singer Woody Guthrie presented as a picture book with a...

Age Level: 6-9 years old

A Band of Angels

By: Deborah Hopkinson

Ella Sheppard was one of the original Jubilee Singers from what is now known as Fisk University...

A Good Night for Ghosts

By: Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie go to New Orleans on All Saint's Day in 1915 to find a young musician named Louis...

A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice

By: Nadia Hohn

Louise Bennett Coverley, better known as Miss Lou, was a Jamaican poet and entertainer who used...

Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band

By: Kwame Alexander

When a jazz-loving rooster sets his sights on winning a barnyard talent show, he realizes he can...

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

By: Susan Hood

A town built on a landfill. A community in need of hope. A girl with a dream. A man with a...

Banjo Granny

By: Sarah Martin Busse, Jacqueline Martin

Owen’s singing, banjo-playing Granny goes out “to cross one river, one mountain, and a desert”...

Boys Dancing: From School Gym to Theater Stage

By: George Ancona

Elementary school-age boys start at the beginning of the school year to study with Pamela at the...

Bremen Town Musician

By: Jacob Grimm

This is the classic tale of four beleaguered animals—a donkey who can no longer work, a hound...

Can You Hear It?

By: William Lach

Introduces children to music through works of art. Pictures set the scene for the music, and...

Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa

By: Veronica Chambers

Celia Cruz began singing on the streets of Havana as a child. She grew up to become a legendary...

Change Sings: A Children's Anthem

By: Amanda Gorman

As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the...

Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars

By: Gary Golio

The story of Blind Willie Johnson — the legendary Texas musician whose song "Dark Was the Night...

By: Jonah Winter

John Birks Gillespie was an angry child from an abusive home. He was able to overcome huge...

Django: World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist

Born into a poor Roma family, Django Reinhardt's musical talent takes him to perform on European...

Drum Dream Girl: One Girl's Courage Changed Music

By: Margarita Engle

Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually...

Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite

By: Anna Harwell Celenza

Duke Ellington's collaboration with a classically trained colleague resulting in unique...

Elizabeth's Song

By: Michael Wenberg

A fictionalized account of how an 11-year-old girl, Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, saved to buy her...

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa

By: Andrea Pinkney

From her early days in Harlem to becoming the First Lady of Jazz, the story of Ella Fitzgerald...

Ellington Was Not a Street

By: Kadir Nelson, Ntozake Shange

Handsome illustrations of Shange's evocative poem, "Mood Indigo," pay homage to the many African...

Elvis: The Story of the Rock and Roll King

A picture-book biography of a poor kid from Tupelo, Mississippi, who became an American musical...

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Fab Four Friends

By: Susanna Reich

Through paintings and text, this book traces the history and rise in popularity of the Beatles...

Finding the Music/En pos de la musica

By: Jennifer Torres

Reyna accidentally breaks her abuelo’s vihuela and tries to fix it before her family finds out....

Flowers for Sarajevo

By: John McCutcheon

Drasko is Milo’s son who carries on his father’s flower business even after things in Sarajevo...

For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart

By: Elizabeth Rusch, Steve Johnson

The life of Wolfgang’s older sister, Maria Anna, follows the form of a piano sonata which...

Freedom in Congo Square

Join the rhythmic countdown to Sunday afternoon, the one time when enslaved Africans in 19th...

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

By: Chieri Uegaki

Inspired by memories of the time she spent in Japan with her grandfather, a professional...

By: Walter Dean Myers

Experienced readers will enjoy this stunning and sophisticated visit to Harlem in word and image...

Harlem Renaissance Party

By: Faith Ringgold

Lonnie travels back in time to meet many of the artists, writers, and musicians of the Harlem...

Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills

By: Renee Watson

How Jelly Roll Morton Invented Jazz

Jelly Roll Morton became – to his grandmother’s horror – a musician in New Orleans, developing...

I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello

By: Barbara Garriel

An adaptation of the folk rhyme "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly," featuring musical...

Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl

By: Debbi Michiko Florence

Third-grader, Jasmine Toguchi, wants to enter her school’s talent show, but what talent could...

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John Coltrane's Giant Steps

John Coltrane's musical composition is performed by a box, a snowflake, some raindrops, and a...

Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed

By: Leslea Newman

Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. But...

Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century

Born in the Mississippi Delta in 1927, the always musically gifted Mary Violet Leontyne Price...

Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotton

By: Laura Veirs

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotton heard music all around her growing up in North Carolina. She became a...

Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music

By: Ana Gerhard

Provides an introduction to classical music, describing how birds have inspired composers...

Little Melba and Her Big Trombone

By: Katheryn Russell-Brown

Melba Doretta Liston loved the sounds of music from as far back as she could remember....

Little Rat Makes Music

By: Monica Bang-Campbell

Little Rat wants to be musical and play an instrument just as do the other members of her family...

M Is for Music

By: Kathleen Krull

The alphabet is used as a device to introduce the vocabulary for a range of musical styles as...

Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens

By: Nina Nolan

This brief, broad introduction to gospel great, Mahalia Jackson, is sure to inform as well as...

Max Found Two Sticks

By: Brian Pinkney

It was a day when Max didn't feel like talking to anyone. He just sat on his front steps and...

Moses Goes to a Concert

By: Isaac Millman

Moses and his schoolmates, all deaf, attend a concert where the orchestra's percussionist is...

Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn

By: Cynthia Rylant

Mr. Putter's neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, decides that they should join a band, but finding the...

Music for Mr. Moon

By: Erin Stead

Harriet just wants to play her cello alone. But when she accidentally knocks the lonely moon...

My Name Is Celia/Me llamo Celia

Odetta: The Queen of Folk

By: Stephen Alcorn

The life and music of Odetta who became an influential folksinger and civil rights activist is...

Penny and Her Song

By: Kevin Henkes

Henkes' first easy reader introduces Penny and her mouse family in two appealing chapters. Penny...

Art Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, but his passion for the piano and...

Play, Mozart, Play!

By: Peter Sís

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only a famous composer and a musical genius; his father turned...

Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll! Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock & Roll

By: Tonya Bolden

A picture book biography of the life, career, and impact of 20th-century blues and gospel singer...

Roly-Polies

By: Mónica Carretero

Beneath a large cabaret theater lived a huge family of roly-polies. The cabaret was open at...

Simple Gifts

A familiar traditional Shaker hymn has been interpreted in bold, semi-abstract, jewel-toned...

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald

By: Eileen L. Ordover

From a poor girl who had "a dancing beat in her feet ever since she was a bitty girl"...

Song in the City

By: Daniel Bernstrom

A young girl, filled with the sounds of her beloved city, shares a song with her grandmother...

Sweet Music in Harlem

By: Debbie Taylor

CJ's uncle, a well known jazz musician, has lost his signature hat and sends the boy out to...

Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm

By: Karen Deans

The story of a group of African American orphans who played in their school's all-girl swing...

Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums

By: Audrey Vernick

Encourages the reader, through practical advice, to support his or her buffalo's desire to play...

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny)

A group of young men from Liverpool changed the world of music and they enjoyed a good laugh —...

The Cardboard Piano

By: Lynne Rae Perkins

Debbie is taking piano lessons and makes a cardboard piano for her friend Tina. But when Tina...

The Carnival of the Animals

By: Jack Prelutsky

New poems, many rhyming, describe the animals introduced in Saint-Saens' orchestral music that...

The Composer Is Dead

By: Lemony Snicket

An inspector seeks to solve a murder mystery at the symphony by questioning each of the musical...

The Deaf Musicians

By: Pete Seeger, Paul Dubois Jacobs

The First Flute

By: David Bouchard, Jan Reibach

When a name is given to an adult, it is often given based on the life that person has lived. The...

The Golden Thread: A Song for Pete Seeger

By: Colin Meloy

Pete Seeger was a musician, an activist, an environmentalist and more. An overview of his life...

The Little Piano Girl

By: Ann Ingalls, Maryann Macdonald

A child prodigy at the piano sprinkles her music with a little jazz. Includes an afterword about...

By: William Miller

A young girl's love for music leads her to a job in the home of an older woman who teaches her...

The Shoe Bird

By: Barbara M. Joosse

An absurd but satisfying fantasy based on Eudora Welty's only children’s work, is presented in...

Trombone Shorty

By: Trou "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

Troy Andrews grew up in a New Orleans family of musicians so it’s not surprising that he, too,...

Tuba Lessons

By: T.C. Bartlett

While walking through the woods on his way to his tuba lesson, a boy becomes sidetracked by all...

Ukulele Hayley

By: Judy Cox

Hayley has finally found her talent: playing ukelele like her great-aunt Ruby, who traveled all...

When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan

This picture-book biography follows a young Bob Zimmerman as he renames himself after his...

When Grandmama Sings

By: Margaree King Mitchell

Belle goes with her talented grandmother on a singing tour during a time of racial segregation...

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky

By: Lauren Stringer

Stravinsky, a composer, and a dancer named Nijnsky each worked alone until they met. Their...

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop

By: Laban Carrick Hill

From his early childhood in Jamaica, Clive loved all types of music. When he was 13 years old,...

Yellow Dog Blues

By: Alice Faye Duncan

A lyrical road trip through the Mississippi Delta, exploring the landmarks that shaped one of...

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

By: Lloyd Moss

When this book begins, the trombone is playing all by itself. But soon a trumpet makes a duet, a...

Age Level: 9-12 years old

All Summer Long

By: Hope Larson

Bina’s first summer without her best friend, Austin, proves to be an emotional roller coaster....

Amina's Voice

By: Hena Khan

Amina loves music, but stage fright and her conservative uncle’s disapproval hamper her...

Audition & Subtraction

By: Amy Fellner Dominy

Tatum, a 14-year-old clarinetist, competes with new student Michael for a spot in honor band,...

Better Nate Than Ever

By: Tim Federle

Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. But how is...

Blackbird Fly

By: Erin Entrada Kelly

Bullied at school, eighth-grader Apple, a Filipino American who loves the music of the Beatles,...

Blues Journey

Rich paintings in limited colors convey the power of a people and a piece of their history. Done...

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

By: Rita Williams-Garcia

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Children’s Literature in Music Education: Read Alouds

Jul 1, 2015 | Children's Books , Dropbox , Elementary Music , Music Education , Read Alouds , Sing Alouds | 5 comments

As many of you, I had to take a reading class as part of my requirements to become a teacher.   I think every music teacher struggles making the class meaningful because we’re unsure how we’re going to incorporate reading skills in our instruction on top of everything else we have to do in 30-45 minutes once a week.  I chose to take a different approach to my reading class.  I researched music books specifically written for children and authentic strategies I could use to enhance and support literacy in the music classroom.

So what is a Read Aloud?  It is exactly as it sounds.  “Teachers read books aloud to students.  Teachers incorporates variations in pitch, tone, pace, volume, pauses, eye contact and questions…  Reading texts aloud is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for successful learning” (McCormick, 1977).  Pitch? Tone? Replace pace with tempo and volume with dynamics and it’s starts to sound a lot like music instruction to me!

So how do you incorporate Read Alouds in the music room?  I use them primarily with my K-1 students in the final five minutes of class.  I see my students for 40 minutes every 3 days.  Although I love my time with my students, sometimes 40 minutes can feel like a long time with Kindergartners.  I started using Read Alouds to help students transition and calm them down before leaving the music room.  Now, I feel like I should clarify something.  90% of the time, I am not reading.  I am singing.  Sing Alouds?!?  I choose great children’s literature associated with songs and sing them.   Here are a few of my favorites.   Because so many of the books I use for my Sing Alouds also happen to be folk songs, I read/sing them twice over the course of two classes.  Students love the familiarity of the story the second time around and often times will begin to sing along too.

Do you do Sing Alouds in your classroom?  What are your favorite books to sing to your students?  In the coming weeks, I’ll be discussing books for instrument exploration, poetry and composition, and favorite books about composers.  Be sure to check back each week!  Oh – if you are looking for a list of children’s books for the music room, check out my “inventory” list.  I’m sharing it on Dropbox this month!

• Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa
• Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child
• Rattlebone Rock by Sylvia Andrews

Thank you!! This is going to be SO helpful trying to find books for Kindergarten every week!!

I have quite a few of those books but you have several that I've not even seen. Amazon……

Melissa – be sure to check out Barefoot Books series of "songs" for children. I have quite a few of them AND they have a channel on YouTube. Many of the stories have videos that accompany them. They're great for days when you have a sub or have no voice!

Be sure to check out the Dropbox link with my list of children's books for music. I think I have close to 230 titles! Amazon and I have a love/hate relationship. Must. Stop. Ordering.

lol The first step to a cure is admitting there is a problem!! I cant see the dropbox link. (?)

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Early Learning. Happy Teaching.

Children’s Books about Composers

November 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 16 Comments

Sharing is caring!

We’re getting into our study of classical music in our homeschool lessons, so we’re sharing children’s books about composers ! These are perfect for circle time stories or unit study resources, especially if you want your kids to learn more about the music and the lives of these musicians.

While there are classical composers in this list, there are also kids’ books about modern composers, including the great Duke Ellington! If you enjoy these stories, be sure to check out the Duke Ellington unit in our ebook “We Got Jazz” !

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy . One of the most interesting things about many classical composers is that they often began their musical careers while they were still children. Mozart began composing at the age of five. Five! That’s some serious inspiration for kids who are interested in music. 🙂

Some of the activity books include coloring books and unit studies about composers. In fact, Stories of the Great Composers is one of the resources we’re using in our homeschool curriculum this year!

Picture Books about Composers

• The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous American Composer – Joanne Stanbridge
• George Frederic Handel – Mildred Clary
• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – Anna Harwell Celenza
• Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince And His Orchestra – Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Secret Lives of Great Composers: What Your Teachers Never Told You about the World’s Musical Masters – Elizabeth Lunday
• Sebastian: A Book About Bach – Jeanette Winter
• The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George – Hugh Brewster
• Becoming Bach – Tom Leonard
• The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! – Robert Levine
• Why Beethoven Threw the Stew (And Lots More Stories About the Lives of Great Composers) – Steven Isserlis

Nonfiction and Activity Books about Composers

• Stories of the Great Composers  – June Montgomery & Maurice Hinson
• Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers: Ludwig Von Beethoven – Mike Venezia
• Great Composers Coloring Book – John Green & Paul Negri
• Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? – Yona Zeldis McDonough & Carrie Robbins
• Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz – Stephanie Stein Crease
• World of Composers: Verdi – Greta Cencetti
• Peter Tchaikovsky: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia
• Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Anna Harwell Celenza
• 18th Century Superstar: Mozart (Time for Kids Nonfiction Series) – Georgia Beth
• Johannes Brahms: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia

Do you have any favorite resources for introducing classical composers to kids? Do you have any suggestions for great children’s books about composers? Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoy these stories, check out our other ideas for teaching music and art to homeschoolers!

And don’t miss your chance to learn more about introducing kids to jazz with our We Got Jazz unit study ebook ! It’s packed with over 120 pages of music history and activities about jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

Want to get more ideas for making homeschooling fun? Sign up for our email newsletter to get plenty of homeschool tips and resources in your inbox!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network ! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

September 16, 2014 at 7:19 am

Hi there~ Great book rec!! We love the Venezia series too! Thanks for sharing!

Clicking over from the HHS Mom linky

Havea greet day!

September 18, 2014 at 10:29 pm

Hey! Thanks for visiting! 🙂

September 17, 2014 at 8:01 am

My kiddos love listening to classical music during our homeschool day. Thanks for sharing the great list of books.

I’ve never thought about playing classical music during the school day, but that’s a fabulous idea. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

September 21, 2014 at 1:45 pm

Wow! I had no idea there were so many books about composers! Thanks for linking up at the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop! We hope you stop by again next week!

September 23, 2014 at 11:38 am

Thanks for sharing these great composer books! #laughlearnlinkup

September 23, 2014 at 11:46 am

Thanks for this great list of books! I did some music appreciation with my kids when they were younger, and I would like to do more. 🙂 #laughlearnlinkup

September 24, 2014 at 10:01 pm

Thanks for visiting!

September 23, 2014 at 11:54 am

Composers? You’re speaking my language! Love the post and I’ll be sure to share it.

Hey Michelle! Thanks for stopping by!

September 23, 2014 at 12:55 pm

What a wonderful idea – thanks for sharing!!!!

September 24, 2014 at 10:02 pm

Thanks for visiting! 🙂

September 25, 2014 at 8:43 pm

So many great books to check out! Buffering =)

Thanks for linking up to TGIF! Have a great weekend, Beth

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Music in Education (Elementary & Middle School)

• Get Started
• Children's Books: Music Theme
• Children's Books: Countries
• Lesson Plans / Video / Media Online
• Books with Lesson Plans & Curriculum
• K-12 Music Textbooks

Children's CD's, Fiction & Non-fiction Books: Music Theme

A small, representative collection of children's and young adult fiction and non-fiction is shelved in the Curriculum Collection, located on the east end of the second floor. 

Non-fiction Books are arranged by the Dewey Decimal System to reflect the call numbers most often used in school and public libraries, and are for grades 5 and up.

E Books = Easy books are picture books aimed at children from birth to grade 4.

F Books = Juvenile Fiction are for grades 5 and up.

To locate children's books that may have applications in music education, use  Research@UWW .

• Put phrases in quotes, such as " children's music "   
• Edit the search by date using the date slider.
• After searching for your topic, you may wish to Refine your search by limiting to items found in the  Curriculum Collection . Children's music is also be available in the Main Collection.

Ask a Librarian in person or  online   if you need more help. 

Music Theme

Experiment with the following searches.  You will need to narrow the search location to one or more of the Curriculum Collections.

• " folk songs "
• " stories in rhyme "
• " folk music "
• " children's songs "
• " School songbooks "
• " games with music "
• " picture books for children "

Some picture books are accompanied by CD's. 

(CD OR "sound disc" OR "audio disc") AND juvenile AND fiction

Find children's CD's using this subject:

" sound recordings" AND (children's OR juvenile)

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• Next: Children's Books: Countries >>
• Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 1:08 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uww.edu/music-education

Music and the Child

(12 reviews)

Natalie Sarrazin, College at Brockport, SUNY

Copyright Year: 2016

ISBN 13: 9781942341208

Publisher: Open SUNY

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Sharon Watkins, Adjunct Music Education Instructor, Newberry College on 10/24/22

This is quite a thorough text, especially since the author states it is intended for general education majors studying how to include music. Each chapter ends with a comprehensive glossary, but there is no index. In ebook format words or phrases... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is quite a thorough text, especially since the author states it is intended for general education majors studying how to include music. Each chapter ends with a comprehensive glossary, but there is no index. In ebook format words or phrases can be searched, but an index would be preferable, especially for the pdf or hard copy versions.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is well-researched and appears to be accurate in all areas. The author’s studies in ethnomusicology have allowed her to offer a rich perspective on children’s unique musical backgrounds, especially in chapters 1 and 13. .

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is relevant and mainly up-to-date. Suggested discussion points/activities are included in each chapter to involve students. Special attention should be given to the hyperlinks. They are a wonderful tool for immediate access to additional resources, but I found some of them to be broken. Also, references to government education programs such as "Common Core" can easily change over time. My state has repealed those standards. Overall, these are minor changes and should be easily implemented.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written clearly and concisely. All technical terms, if not understood thoroughly by the reader, are included in the end-of-chapter glossaries.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent. Each chapter is similarly organized and builds upon a common theme in a logical and organized manner.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is very clearly divided into thirteen chapters and each chapter is well organized by subheadings. This should easily accommodate student understanding if teachers prefer to reorganize class topics and reading assignments within the book.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are presented logically, beginning with an overview of music education in America, how it has developed through history, and then some excellent practical songs, activities, and lesson planning advice. The last several chapters cover music education concerns for specific age levels, inclusion, music integration, and diversity.

Interface rating: 4

I downloaded and read this text as an ebook. Navigation was flawless and all visuals and charts were in excellent form. My only frustration was that hyperlinks took me away from the text, and I had to re-access it each time. For a more professional presentation, it would also be nice to see all YouTube hyperlinks coordinated through a site that offers ad-free addresses.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were just a very few typos, but no noticeable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text is very inclusive and sensitive to the many differences students bring to the classroom. This is true not only as a text itself, but cultural sensitivity, diversity, and inclusivity are addressed as subject matter as well. (See chapters 1, 11, and 13.)

I found this to be a very relevant, thorough, well-researched, and well-written textbook for teaching music at the elementary school level. In my opinion, it could be a valuable resource for both general elementary education students and music education students who are anticipating K-12 general and choral music certification.

Reviewed by Sara Beck, Assistant Professor of Psychological Science, Randolph College on 4/6/22

See complete review below. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

See complete review below.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Clarity rating: 4

Consistency rating: 4

Modularity rating: 4

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Interface rating: 5

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I really enjoyed this book, and I think it provides an excellent introduction to the field of music education, as well as use of music in the elementary and preschool classroom to support learning more broadly. As a music psychologist who does research in the area of children's musical engagement, I was expecting more of a social sciences approach, and what I found was largely centered on practical classroom advice for teachers of preschool and school-age children. That said, I found the book extremely interesting, relevant, and easy to follow. In particular, Chapter 4 on approaches to music education was concise and would be useful for my psychology of music class as an introduction to how modern children are enculturated to music in the classroom. Additionally, Chapter 5 (entitled Children Singing and Children's Songs), provided a good introduction to musical milestones and also improvisation in the context of children's musical play. These are topics which are of interest within developmental psychology as well as musical education.

As a teacher of college students, I was intrigued by Chapter 6 in its coverage of arts integration, which was conceptually familiar to me, but not familiar as a pedagogical term. Overall, the ethnomusicological and pedagogical approach of the book offers many benefits to the teacher of music education and also offers some content to teachers of developmental music psychology, children's music perception, and the science of children's play (inclusive of musical play). A major strength of the book is the practical suggestions throughout for lesson plans centered on music situated to achieve multiple musical and non-musical goals. These are likely to be most useful to the reader who is already competent at reading and teaching music, however, despite a brief section that introduces note-reading and musical notation literacy to the novice.

From my perspective, the major shortcoming of the book is the fact that in-text citations were used only intermittently. There were many claims made without accompanying in-text citations, particularly around music therapy and use of music for children with special needs. In general, Chapter 7 (on music and the brain) and Chapter 11 (on music and inclusion) needed to be more thoroughly referenced throughout since they largely rely on empirical research findings which are easy to overstate. A curious reader will want to know exactly where to go to find more detail on these findings, and it is not easy to map each claim onto the end-of-chapter references.

I found this book to be consistent and informative, and I hope to use a chapter or two in classes moving forward. As a stand-alone book, I believe it would be best suited for a class in the field of music education or elementary teacher education.

Reviewed by Melissa Ryan, Assistant Professor of Music, DePauw University on 1/7/21

The text offers a research-based and practical approach to teaching children through music. The author provides an informed framework and rationale for music in education and for creating educational environments for children in which they can... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text offers a research-based and practical approach to teaching children through music. The author provides an informed framework and rationale for music in education and for creating educational environments for children in which they can grow as humans. As a music educator, I appreciate the author's dedication to music in education as a vital aspect of a holistic approach to teaching young students. Sarrazin walks us through each chapter with clear and practical examples of how to accomplish this very thing.

The text is accurate, well-researched, and more than sufficiently referenced.

Most of the content is up-to-date. However, some of the links that the author provided for more detail are out of date and/or are no longer functioning web pages. Additionally, some of the folk song choices and language used in the "inclusion" section may need to be reconsidered in light of shifts and changes in appropriate educational terminology and philosophy.

The author uses clear and accessible language throughout the text. It is appropriate for the targeted audience of teachers and professionals with little or no formal musical training or education.

The text is consistent throughout with no glaring or distracting discrepancies.

The way the content is organized within each chapter certainly lends itself to stand-alone use of chapters or sections for any particular course needs.

A university instructor could easily follow the text in the order it is written and use it as a guide to chronologically and pedagogically organize their course content.

The interface was easily navigable and very reader-friendly.

There were no distracting grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

While there is an entire chapter dedicated to music multiculturalism and diversity, it seems the musical choices in the text miss the mark on this goal. The author mentions that 21st century, progressive educational goals are broader than a Western-centric view, but the majority of the musical examples illustrate a bias in that very vein. The inclusion of minstrel songs ("O Susannah") also indicates a reevaluation is needed in order to reflect more current philosophies toward these historically problematic tunes. Multiculturalism and cultural relevance in education is much more than tacking on a chapter at the end of a text.

Reviewed by Lisa Maynard, Associate Professor of Music Education, James Madison University on 7/31/20

“Music and the Child” by Natalie Sarrazin provides a thoroughly comprehensive, well-written, researched and referenced, overview of Music Education history, practices, planning, procedures, and possibilities in relation to creating meaningful... read more

“Music and the Child” by Natalie Sarrazin provides a thoroughly comprehensive, well-written, researched and referenced, overview of Music Education history, practices, planning, procedures, and possibilities in relation to creating meaningful music learning experiences for children of all ages in pedagogically-appropriate ways. The wealth of content is impressive, as is the thoughtfulness of planning that went into the inclusion of resource and vocabulary lists associated with each chapter. In addition, multiple links are included throughout the text of each chapter with the purpose of offering more in-depth study of certain topics, as well as access to a large number of incredibly useful related resource links for each chapter. The musical examples and diverse repertoire included in the book are a huge resource in and of themselves. While targeted for classroom teachers teaching music classes, I think this book also would certainly be appropriate to use in an introductory class for Music Education majors as well.

The content of this textbook is remarkably error free, especially given the large amount of material included in it. The influence of the author’s own background both as a music educator and ethnomusicologist are clearly seen in the selection of ethnically diverse musical examples.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

While the topics covered in this textbook span a wide time period, covering important historical developments and approaches in the field of Music Education (both around the world and in the United States), one of the author’s stated outcomes is to prepare teachers of music classes for successful 21st Century teaching. She certainly does this by providing such a wealth of information and including the resources necessary to create positive learning experiences for all students in music classes. The layout of the text and instructions provided in relation to actions and movements associated with many of the songs included in the book make it accessible and practical.

While Dr. Sarrazin’s textbook is both research and practice based, her writing style is easily accessible while not overlooking the relevance and importance of specific terminology that is clearly defined in each chapter’s vocabulary list.

The overarching framework used for this textbook was consistent throughout, with each chapter following a similar format despite the change in topic. This added continuity for the reader. I found myself looking forward to reading the glossary of terminology at the end of each chapter, and also found it hard not to click on the links embedded throughout the chapters. I can imagine my student’s wanting to do the same thing in their thirst for further knowledge about the various topics included in the book’s content.

While the order of the topics included in the various chapters are already laid out in a sequentially effective way, they could certainly be reordered according to the tastes of an instructor who is using the text for one of their classes. The subtopics within each of the larger topics could also lend themselves to discussion in smaller bytes for a class meeting multiple times a week. The inclusion of suggested class activities throughout each chapter provides additional embedded content and learning opportunities for meaningful student reflection, discussion, and collaboration.

The information and resources included within each chapter are logically presented and well-ordered. While some topics are understandably covered in more detail than others, those offering introductory information in relation to a subtopic tend to offer links to more information for those wanting to learn more. The reference lists and index of songs included in the book are also hugely valuable and well-organized content.

I found the links included in the textbook to be significantly free of navigation problems. While I did find a few links in the Resources list of Chapter 6 to no longer be working, I think this is not surprising given that they are outside links over which the author has no control. These could easily be updated in a future edition of the book. However, given that so many of the links worked without problem, this was a minor issue, and could be easily remedied with some internet searching by the reader.

The written content of the text was free of grammatical errors. I did find one incorrect spelling of Shinichi Suzuki’s first name in a subheading but the correct spelling was used later on.

The author has included a diverse collection of songs from a variety of countries in the text which is commendable. Dr. Sarrazin discusses and emphasizes in detail the importance of including culturally relevant repertoire into the context of music classrooms so that the music learned is reflective of those who are the student stakeholders in each classroom. Revision of some of the American historical song content – specifically in relation to war songs included in the text – could be a consideration for the next edition of the book.

Dr. Sarrazin should be congratulated on the huge amount of scholarly work and expertise that went into envisioning, researching, and writing this excellent Open Library Textbook resource. A potential chapter to add for the next edition could be one that provides a brief overview of instrumental music in the schools. I also think it would be good to include some content about the El Sistema method to the chapter on various approaches (e.g. Kodaly, Suzuki, Gordon etc..) in a future edition. Overall, I found this book to be a well-written and informative text that I believe university students would find engaging, interesting, and practical.

Reviewed by Jennifer Vernon, Faculty, ECE Filed Supervisor, Portland Community College on 6/29/20

The author is clear in the content and gives context of the material through links to various Ted Talks, Youtube videos and articles to further dig deeper into the concepts discussed. read more

The author is clear in the content and gives context of the material through links to various Ted Talks, Youtube videos and articles to further dig deeper into the concepts discussed.

This textbook is thorough in providing unbiased information while keeping in mind how music is our sense of identity that provides contextual culture and self worth.

The activities provided throughout the textbook are relevant and provide the reader to take an active role in the information provided through hands on learning.

I found the textbook was clear and concise without the use of jargon while providing fundamental definitions along the way.

The textbook build upon itself through each chapter. Beginning with the fundamentals and continuing on chronologically with age and development.

I found the author provided multiple ways for the reader to learn the material. The activities where in colored boxes to break up the reading and the videos proved more context for the content. There were multiples ways in which to learn the concepts.

The organization was presented clearly and concisely as a reader to follow and engage in the content.

I found the interface engaging and easy to navigate while all of the links were working and free of problems.

I found this textbook free of grammatical errors, professionally written and well edited.

I truly appreciated the inclusion of various conversations and topics of multiculturalism and diversity throughout the textbook as music is so intrinsic to our own identity.

I am planning on using this textbook to support my students understanding music and the brain with a cultural understanding.

Reviewed by Sarah Burns, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education, Augustana College on 6/19/18

The text is fairly comprehensive as a textbook for a music methods textbook intended for elementary education majors. Some content knowledge is assumed: for example, certain elements of the fundamentals of music are taught while some are merely... read more

The text is fairly comprehensive as a textbook for a music methods textbook intended for elementary education majors. Some content knowledge is assumed: for example, certain elements of the fundamentals of music are taught while some are merely mentioned (staff, clefs, etc.). More information about instruments, specifically orchestral and band instruments, listening experiences, and classroom management would be helpful.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

Bias “As an extension, the book also touches on some multicultural aspects of music, and considers the broad role of music and its importance to humanity, thus avoiding an insular and myopic Western Culture view of the musical child.” (p. 3)

While it may reveal the personal attitude of the author, the last part of this statement (after the word “humanity”) could be removed and thus avoid bias. The holistic, global content of the text contradicts this one phrase and renders it unnecessary.

Many inaccuracies regarding musical/song examples were identified – missing time signatures (pp. 29, 30), uneven metrical phrasing (pp. 27-28, 93-94), chant with no lyrics (p.67), incorrect key signature (p. 70, 183), rhythmic lines with key signatures (p. 76), incorrect notes/rhythms (p. 95, 155, 160, 177), misplaced accents (p. 96), title does not match chant (p. 147), song phrases out of order (pp. 154, 155), unfinished songs (pp. 233, 234, 237, 269).

Attention to these and other musical issues would produce a well-varied song collection for the elementary education major.

Though this text occasionally tangents into areas beyond the scope of a music methods text for elementary education majors, its content is relevant to the intended audience. Chapter 11: Music and Inclusion may need to be revisited from time to time to stay current with gender issues and recommendations for students with special needs. Some of the folk song content may need to be edited or replaced in light of today’s changing attitudes.

This text is presented in a professional, conversational-style prose. It is written as though the author is speaking to the reader with understanding of the reader’s experience and knowledge of the subject matter without appearing condescending. Terms that may be considered jargon of the music field are promptly defined in the text as well as included in the chapter and end-of-text glossaries.

The consistency of this text is satisfactory throughout.

This text has clearly defined sections though it would be helpful to have the subsections for each chapter included in the table of contents and a topical index at the end of the text. This would facilitate identifying subsections more readily.

This text has clearly defined sections though the placement of some sections is problematic. For example, in Chapter 6 the classroom instrument section seems out of place in a chapter on lesson planning and the classroom management section just seems like an add-on without a place of its own.

This seems to be satisfactory. It would be helpful to have links printed out for use with the printed form.

Very few grammatical errors were observed.

An entire chapter is devoted to Musical Multiculturalism and Diversity. This chapter offers a detailed to incorporating world music into the classroom with specific examples given from West Africa, India, and Japan. Song examples throughout the text represent a global collection of folk songs.

This is a thoughtful, research-based text with the undergraduate student in mind. The content is presented in a reader-friendly writing style that is easily understood. In addition to a collection of over 100 children’s chants and songs, this text includes scripted lesson plans which gives guidance for incorporating music into the elementary curriculum. As a result, the beginning teacher can achieve successful music making in the classroom.

Reviewed by Erin McKee, Online Instructor, Concordia University Portland on 5/21/18

The text, Music and the Child, is a comprehensive overview of understanding the developmental connections between music and children. The author Sarrazin states, “children are inherently musical.” Sarrazin guides the reader to understanding the... read more

The text, Music and the Child, is a comprehensive overview of understanding the developmental connections between music and children. The author Sarrazin states, “children are inherently musical.” Sarrazin guides the reader to understanding the importance of music education in the classroom setting, regardless if there is a formal music program present or not. The text covers an overview of musical concepts and vocabulary and easy to implement activities and lesson ideas. The author helps readers find joy in musical education and recognizing the many benefits of learning music.

Sarrazin supports her text with citations and references to a variety of well-known musical scholars, and pedagogical approaches to education. There are some minor misspellings throughout, though it does not deter the reader from comprehending the text.

The text is up-to-date and relevant to educators today. Many concepts of the text will remain relevant overtime, such as the song repertoire, history of musical education, and musical concepts and vocabulary. Concepts such as assessment, approaches to lesson planning, multicultural learning, and lesson ideas could be updated without any concern.

The author presents the text in a way that is easy to understand. The text is primarily written for educators without extensive musical knowledge. The author concludes each chapter with helpful musical definitions and vocabulary terms, helping readers to understand more technical musical concepts.

The text is written in a easy to follow format. The chapters begin with a summary and end with resources, references, and vocabulary definitions. There are also embedded activities to try out to help with understanding or as readers learn about lesson ideas and activities.

The 13 chapters are easy to navigate and do not overwhelm the reader. The chapters could be assigned at different points in the course, and rearranged in an order that would be applicable to different reading purposes.

The overall organization of the book is sequenced in a way that is clear and logical. As other reviewers noted, it may be more relevant to move the last few chapters up in the sequence, particularly the last chapter on multiculturalism and diversity, and allow for the integration chapter to be at the end.

The text is easy to read, free from any significant interface issues. The links embedded in this text are readily accessible, as well.

The text is free from grammatical errors.

The text does a nice job highlighting the cultural relevance of music and music education. There are several references to pedagogical approaches from different cultures, and instruments and songs from diverse cultures. The author provides relevant resources and ideas to incorporate multicultural music lessons in classrooms.

I recommend this text to other readers. I would utilize this text in my music and movement course, for undergraduate students, studying to be early childhood educators.

Reviewed by Ann Marie Stanley, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University on 6/20/17

Sarrazin wrote, “This book is intended to aid those who have little or no background in music, in order to increase their comfort in integrating music into the curriculum.”&nbsp; I have taught many of these students in various “Music for the... read more

Sarrazin wrote, “This book is intended to aid those who have little or no background in music, in order to increase their comfort in integrating music into the curriculum.”  I have taught many of these students in various “Music for the Classroom Teacher”-type courses and I can agree that the musical background of many pre-service and practicing elementary school classroom teachers is quite limited. I have used several texts through the years and I can honestly say that Sarrazin hits the perfect balance here between “need-to-know” and “too much overwhelming information.” Her strength is in summarizing and codifying dense topics. The breadth of topics across the chapters is quite inclusive. Yet Sarrazin (thankfully) omitted much of the arcane how-to instruction that makes up a large part of competing texts: how to tune an autoharp, how to select between a flutophone and a recorder, how to teach solfege, etc. I would use this book in the future just because of this feature.

While I liked many of the links to external material, I had some concern about the quality and longevity or stability of others. Some are very worthwhile: for example the link to the Kennedy Center for arts integration information, the link to another open text book for auditory science material and research. Some are really questionable: for example the Global Alliance for Transforming Education doesn’t exist any longer apparently, and the theory site for explaining texture takes one to a cached “wayback” site that doesn’t work well. In addition, care should be taken to examine the political overtones and subtext of other sites, as even the non-profit ones may have an educational reform agenda that may be seen by some as problematic. Not everyone in the profession is on board with the 21st century skill movement and its extensive list of corporate board members, nor the core standards, etc. Professors should check the links in each chapter before assigning the readings.

Other than the point above about the links that may not be as appropriate or functional as they could be, the book is highly relevant to its intended population. The classroom teacher who wants to learn more about music education will have many of her questions answered, and the book is quite usable.

The book is clear and concise. None of the chapters seemed overly long or padded. I liked the vocabulary words emphasized for each chapter as well as the glossary. The text boxes (“Try this” etc.) are a nice off-set to the larger amount of more scholarly text. For me this book reads really well.

This is a strength in the way she consistently chose multiple non-Western-classical music examples to illustrate musical concepts, and linked these to interesting videos (Qu’uran singing, Tuvan Throat singing, etc) In the text itself, she really pulled out some terrific children’s tunes from other cultures: (ex. several Indian counting games which were new to me and which I will try immediately with my own class). I found this broad and multicultural approach refreshing and contemporary.

Each chapter can be used on its own. I would imagine several chapters (such as the music cognition section) could easily bolster required reading in a class for music education majors. Chapter 7 is particularly nicely done, in the way Sarrazin is able to summarize complex research. She also treads ethically around area of the question, “does music make kids smarter?” and points out the innate reasons to make music, not just the supposed extrinsic benefits. The arts integration chapter should be required reading for every elementary classroom teacher!!

I read comments from another reviewer about changing the sequence of the chapters, and I concur. The order and the titles of the chapters could be edited for clarity. Chapter divisions are fine, though.

Excellent, easy to read. I read it online using my laptop and had no issues. I wish that clicking on a link would open up a new window so I could click back and forth between the link and the text without having to use “back” button. Perhaps that’s how I have my browser set, rather than the interface; I'm not sure.

No problems.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

See my points under “Consistency” above, for high praise. However, the learning disabilities/Special needs music education section seems a bit dated already (e.g. the behaviorist positive and negative reinforcement for management techniques for students who experience Autism) and the tone is unnecessarily “label-oriented.” The categorization of student needs with specific techniques is good but seems a bit arbitrary. (Students with higher learning potential = offer advanced ability ensembles/acceleration? Not that practically helpful for the classroom teacher.) This section will need to be accompanies by a more nuanced classroom discussion facilitated by a knowledgeable instructor.

I recommend this text and I believe I will use it in the future.

Reviewed by Mei-ling Lee, Instructor, Lane Community College on 6/20/17

This text book “Music and the Child”, written by Natalie Sarrazin, is well organized in its content. It covers a wide range of topics on teaching music for younger children. The whole book consists 13 chapters, and each chapter has its own clear... read more

This text book “Music and the Child”, written by Natalie Sarrazin, is well organized in its content. It covers a wide range of topics on teaching music for younger children. The whole book consists 13 chapters, and each chapter has its own clear subject, but also related to each other. Many music examples and charts are provided throughout the book. It is easy to read.

I found it is very useful that the sections of Vocabulary, Resources, and References are placed at the end of each chapter. This make it much easier to explore more information. Through out the book, there are hands on activities listed in the book. They are very helpful and fun to do.

This book is a great resources for music educator. Most contents are related to younger child, but I also found there are many materials, suggestion can be used for order kids, even young adults.

The content of the book seems accurate, according to my knowledge.

New music is written every day, every hour and every minutes. But there are some basic concept and ideas about music teaching will stay the same over years. This book covers a lot of ideas of how to make the music fun in younger children’s learning process. They can be very useful for a long period of time. However, it would be nice to see more current music repertoire.

The text is written in very accessible prose. At the end of each chapter, the Terminology section is very helpful to make all the concept to be understood easily.

The written style and structure of each chapter in this book are very consistent.

This book has 13 chapters. Each chapter can be used as a stand along module. Each chapter is focus on one stand along subject related to music teaching in early childhood.

Also, having the information of references at the end of each chapter also make each chapter to be it’s own module easily.

The structure of the book is very well organized. The print is clear. All the charts and pictures are large enough to be seen clearly.

I see no problem of the interface issue. the whole book is very easy to navigate. The diagram and charts are printed large enough for easy navigation.

As non-native English speaker, I found this book is very east to read. I see no errors on the books grammar. Personally, I really like the writing style of the book. All the information can be digest easily and the ideas are delivered clearly.

This book is mainly written for music educators to use in US. All of the music examples are based on Western culture. It will be very nice if some of the music examples can drawn from other culture / country.

Reviewed by Tinamarie Ivey, Faculty, Linn Benton Community College on 6/20/17

This book is a good resource and guild for anyone choosing to work with children whether in an academic environment or other setting. And though it focuses on how to teach music, It also offers the reader the advantage of knowing more about how to... read more

This book is a good resource and guild for anyone choosing to work with children whether in an academic environment or other setting. And though it focuses on how to teach music, It also offers the reader the advantage of knowing more about how to apply music (without being a 'music major') to an academic lesson in order to enrich a child's cognitive abilities while building on a 'process' rather than a 'product' objective. Though each chapter builds onto the next, a reader is not required to read from cover to cover in order to utilize the information and to have direct application in an educational setting. The author has consolidated a remarkable amount of information and direct application opportunities yet it is not overwhelming to the reader, very organized and concise.

Every author has some opinion upon the subject matter they write and therefore cannot be completely 'unbiased'. That being said, any perceptions made by the author are well supported by citations and offer the reader an opportunity to reflect upon the thoughts shared by the author. That being said, I took exception to the section that indicates that a teacher should discourage a student from singing in their chest but rather ask them to sing in their head. There is little evidence that this technique is helpful to insure good singing in the future though I understand why the author has come to this conclusion. The text has minor misspellings but does not deflect from the content.

The topics explored, activities offered, and sited materials is more relevant than ever and will continue to be so as western schools battle the ever present decline in students' love of learning. It is especially helpful that the author lists the '21st Century Skills' which identifies particular areas of focus which are essential for future learning as identified by the Kennedy Center, The Partnership for 21st-Century Skills, 21st-Century Schools and the Global Alliance for Transforming Education. This text helps a teacher know how to make learning fun, to allow students to become leaders, collaborators and corroborative learners. The arts are often narrowly defined as part of an elitist community. This excludes the arts from a consideration of their multiple contributions to our daily lives and the role they play in discourse regarding social/cultural issues. The evidence of this is in the consistent funding cuts to local and national arts agencies and for arts education in elementary and secondary school settings. This disjuncture suggests that the common perception is that the arts are outside of the normal boundaries of daily living and problem solving and are instead reserved for extra-ordinary components of life related to special events associated with rites of passage as well as national and religious celebrations. Because of this the text is enormously relevant without risk of becoming out of date anytime soon.

The text is clear, easy to understand and accessible. The technical terms and terminology are presented in a way that the reader is not required to be a music aficionado - clearly defined with direct application opportunities. I especially like that the author has included the key terms and definitions, as a vocabulary section, at the end of each chapter. There is a warmth to her writing, a true love of the work and a thorough understanding of the importance of music in a child's life.

The framework of the text is excellent, comprehensive and consistent terminology used throughout. The author takes the reader on a journey through guided probes in how music connects all of us as human beings, with consistent opportunities for direct application. Each chapter is similarly structured, making it easy to navigate each topic.

The text offers the reader easy access to smaller categories of material by well defined sections. The smaller sections are consistent along all the chapters, with blocks of text clearly identified with subheadings. This text can be utilized as a companion text to courses such as Creative Drama for the Classroom/Teacher.

The chapters could be organized a little differently and rather than list every chapter and where it should be placed I will add just this: The reader may be better served by having Chapter 11, 12, 13 offered earlier in the chapter order. And consolidate the Lesson Plan development later in the reading.

The text is of free of significant navigation issues, charts and examples are very easy to decipher. The links for further reading and resources within the chapters are especially helpful to the reader.

The text has minor grammatical errors mostly due to spaces between words.

The author pays close attention to cultural sensitivity and awareness. Many examples, philosophies, resources and materials are provided within the chapters. These cultural samplings include teaching approaches and philosophies of Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Hungry. I also appreciate that the author offers a chapter 'Music Inclusion', which touches on Gender, Therapy &amp; Healing, Special Needs and her chapter: Musical Multiculturalism and Diversity.

The author states, "understand the role of music in children’s lives through play", which is what first captured my interest in this text. I believe children learn best through play, through physicalization and collaboration. This text is a perfect fit in any early education training.

Reviewed by Molly Weaver, Professor of Music (Music Education), West Virginia University on 12/5/16

In describing her work, author Sarrazin states “This book explores a holistic, artistic, and integrated approach to understanding the developmental connections between music and children. This book guides professionals to work through music,... read more

In describing her work, author Sarrazin states “This book explores a holistic, artistic, and integrated approach to understanding the developmental connections between music and children. This book guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children’s lives through play, games, creativity, and movement. Additionally, the book explores ways of applying music-making to benefit the whole child, i.e., socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and linguistically.” Although this may seem like an ambitious goal for a single book, my review of Music and the Child confirms that it does indeed explore connections and applications, and guide instructors, childcare workers, students, and others to work with children through music. As a single volume it is very comprehensive. The 13 chapters comprise considerable breadth, and each individual chapter has depth appropriate for readers whose discipline may not be music education.

Book content is accurate and unbiased. The various chapters are supported with citations of eminent scholars in the arts, music education, developmental psychology, ethnomusicology, and other fields. The text does contain some misspellings, and some lists of resources and references are not fully alphabetized.

Book content is relevant. Much of it will remain so over time, especially regarding music fundamentals, approaches to music education, the child’s singing voice, song repertoire, classroom management, the roles of music in early childhood and lower elementary stages, and musical play. Necessary updates to content such as assessment, lesson planning strategies, music and the brain, musical cultures, creativity, inclusion, arts integration, multiculturalism, and diversity should not be problematic.

Text clarity is excellent. The prose is accessible by a range of readers, in particular by those whose discipline may not be music education. Each chapter begins with a Chapter Summary that functions as a concise overview of chapter content and organization. Technical terms have appropriate context, and throughout each chapter there is strong emphasis on vocabulary relevant to the topic(s) of that chapter. Moreover, nearly all chapters end with a Vocabulary section comprising a list of key terms and their definitions.

Text consistency is excellent. The theoretical framework is that children are inherently musical, and that those of us who work with children through music must continuously search for ways to tap into their natural enthusiasm for listening/moving/singing/playing in the interest of facilitating their physical, social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and musical development. This is first articulated in Chapter 1, “Perspectives and Approaches,” and is systematically addressed in subsequent chapters. The terminology is consistent throughout. Each chapter emphasizes relevant vocabulary, and nearly all chapters feature a list of key vocabulary terms and their definitions.

Book modularity is excellent. Each chapter can stand as an independent work on its topic(s). Throughout each chapter there are activities that engage readers beyond chapter content as well as links to supplemental readings and videos. Each chapter ends with a list of resources to consult for greater depth, and a copious list of references to the literature. Individual chapters could be reordered within a course without compromising readers. Particular activities within each chapter could be reordered or omitted, again without compromising readers.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

Two areas of book organization/structure/flow can be improved: chapter titles and chapter order.

Several chapter titles could be edited as follows to better represent the actual content and order within each chapter:

From 1. Perspectives and Approaches to 1. Arts and Educational Approaches and Perspectives

From 3. Assessment and Learning Goals to 3. Discipline-Based Assessment and Professional Self-Assessment

From 4. Approaches to Music Education to 4. Pedagogical Approaches in Music Education

From 5. Children Singing and Children’s Songs to 5. Teaching Children to Sing: Methods and Materials

From 6. Creative Activity and Lesson Planning to 6. Creative Approaches to Successful Music Lesson Planning

From 9. Music and the Older Child to 9. Music in Middle Childhood: Methods and Repertoire

From 10. Children’s Musical Play: Musicality and Creativity to 10. Children’s Creativity: Musical Play and Improvisation

From 12. Music Integration to 12. Music Integration in the School Curriculum: Concepts and Strategies

From 13. Musical Multiculturalism and Diversity to 13. Culturally Diverse Music Teaching: Rationale and Applications

As well, chapter order could be revised as follows to improve book organization/structure/flow:

1. Arts and Educational Approaches and Perspectives 2. Music: Fundamentals and Educational Roots in the U.S. 4. Pedagogical Approaches in Music Education 6. Creative Approaches to Successful Music Lesson Planning 5. Teaching Children to Sing: Methods and Materials 3. Discipline-Based Assessment and Professional Self-Assessment 7. Music and the Brain 8. Music in Early Childhood Development 9. Music in Middle Childhood: Methods and Repertoire 10. Children’s Creativity: Musical Play and Improvisation 11. Music and Inclusion 13. Culturally Diverse Music Teaching: Rationale and Applications 12. Music Integration in the School Curriculum: Concepts and Strategies

Book interface is excellent; there are no navigation, distortion, or display issues.

Text grammar is excellent.

The cultural relevance of the book is strong owing in large measure to content in several chapters, including Chapter 4 (pedagogical approaches from Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, United States), Chapter 6 (classroom instruments from Western and world cultures), Chapter 9 (the section American Children’s Games and Game Songs), Chapter 10 (the section The Singing-Game: Children’s Musical Creativity in Play), Chapter 11 (addresses several types of musical inclusion), and Chapter 13 (entitled “Musical Multiculturalism and Diversity”). Also, the song repertoire throughout the book represents diverse cultures.

I recommend this book as an excellent resource for early childhood and elementary education specialists who teach music as part of their curricula.

Reviewed by Lewton Jones, Music Teacher B.S. Arts/English, PCC on 8/21/16

Natalie Sarrazin sums up her twelve chapters of the many facets of the book with the statement~"Children's creativity is the heart of this book and is the most important factors to consider when creating pedagogical material" In each chapter she... read more

Natalie Sarrazin sums up her twelve chapters of the many facets of the book with the statement~"Children's creativity is the heart of this book and is the most important factors to consider when creating pedagogical material" In each chapter she does box diagrams with two sides and multiple songs to address. She also has a definition of terms- and documents her sources after every chapter rather than at the end of the book. Each chapter is a condensed version of what could be a book in itself. She summarizes numerous methods and scientific and cultural. linguistic and historical idioms as good as one could with these topics.

It is accurate and already documented information for the most part. She is promoting a holistic approach interweaving old and new theories with social, and the physical activity of music. I am not sure with her comment about Mozart only stimulating the IQ for fifteen minutes. I think comments like that need more documentation. Also the evolution of a child's awareness smacked of sociology rather than holistic possibility. In academia all her proofs are backed up by her choice of authors. She writes~"If you can walk you can dance" "If you can talk you can sing" She uses the term of the mother tongue aka natural environment. Like many texts, it might not be totally true but it is accurate.

The longevity of western music theory and historical timelines of change and and discovery are strong in this book. It can be a reference for curious readers and parents of young children. The ethnology and brain information will keep the book relevant for a while.As the globe shrinks and science keeps toppling old beliefs these are good topics. The use of holistic is a bit old school jargon and hints at Jung and Doctor Spock regarding a sky's the limit of possibilities ie. to conjure a musical connection to a computer ridden mindscape of micro minions.

The book is good for one chapter at a time and class discussion primarily because the mix of musical terms and child philosophy in an altruistic methodical and highly organized fashion. She defines her purpose very well with statements like~"In short, scientists say that nothing we do as humans uses more parts of our brain or is more complex as plating an instrument." She is very clear in her purpose with another statement~"Children's linguistic development is related to their musical development." Her documentation regarding these clarion calls is more than adequate.

The book is consistent in its structure regarding its context. It is not a ground breaking book but rather leans on things like the original person already knows what music is and is shaped by the rules and visuals they are introduced to. The theme of the child as our focus seems to turn into a recipe for contrasts in theories such as Dalcroze, Zoltan, Kodo'ly. Orff and Suzuki and like she is consistant in her summation of theses theories resting on what seems to be her preference Eurhthmics. She is consistent to the human child as being dancing with the sound be it scientifically proved or culturally proven.

The book is perfect for singular group discussions. Each chapter has a narrative, examples of forms and a dictionary of terms.. It is a good group text book. I would advise a prep book on certain subjects like the history music, audiology, speech therapy, music therapy and cognitive brain science. It is very condensed chapter to chapter with a barrage of information regarding the chapter's heading. As a novel it would fail.

Extremely well organized almost to a fault. The real gems are the assertions by the author about creativity and music outside the western lexicon such as the great section on Indian and Japanese scales and and phonetic annotations. The structure is very logical but I think the theme is scattered by including too many directions. Maybe three small books on the more grand topics could have worked better.

The book could have been larger in its pages because of the vast amounts of clarification of ideas that followed the narratives. There is no interface problems except for a better or larger print in the publishing.

The book is solid regarding language and research.

The book is progressive and spends the last chapter on ethnicity and the linguistic implications of being from other cultures and hearing and seeing different phenomena yet having a common denominator called music to integrates us..

The author is very well read and gives a great peripheral scan of how children use music to include all facets of life making for a better world with smart empathetic people growing towards adulthood.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Perspectives and Approaches
• Chapter 2: Music: Fundamentals and Educational Roots in the U.S.
• Chapter 3: Assessment and Learning Goals
• Chapter 4: Approaches to Music Education
• Chapter 5: Children Singing and Children's Songs
• Chapter 6: Creative Activity and Lesson Planning
• Chapter 7: Music and the Brain
• Chapter 8: Music in Early Childhood Development
• Chapter 9: Music and the Older Child
• Chapter 10: Children's Musical Play: Musicality and Creativity
• Chapter 11: Music and Inclusion
• Chapter 12: Music Integration
• Chapter 13: Musical Multiculturalism and Diversity

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Children are inherently musical. They respond to music and learn through music. Music expresses children's identity and heritage, teaches them to belong to a culture, and develops their cognitive well-being and inner self worth. As professional instructors, childcare workers, or students looking forward to a career working with children, we should continuously search for ways to tap into children's natural reservoir of enthusiasm for singing, moving and experimenting with instruments. But how, you might ask? What music is appropriate for the children I'm working with? How can music help inspire a well-rounded child? How do I reach and teach children musically? Most importantly perhaps, how can I incorporate music into a curriculum that marginalizes the arts?

This book explores a holistic, artistic, and integrated approach to understanding the developmental connections between music and children. This book guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children's lives through play, games, creativity, and movement. Additionally, the book explores ways of applying music-making to benefit the whole child, i.e., socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and linguistically.

About the Contributors

Natalie Sarrazin , PhD, is Associate Professor of Music at the College at Brockport, SUNY. She holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland, College Park and a master’s degree from Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University in music education. Natalie is the author of books and articles on both Hindi film music and music education. She teaches in the Department of Theatre and Music Studies and Arts for Children programs at the College at Brockport, and is a co-director of the Hunter Institute on Young Children.

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Coloring Pages: Bible stories 4+

Christian art for young hearts, ievgen samburskyi, designed for ipad.

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Discover "Coloring Pages: Bible Stories for Toddlers," the ultimate app for young children to explore the Bible in an engaging and creative way. This faith-inspired journey offers a unique blend of art, music, and biblical education, perfect for instilling a love of scripture from a young age. Key Features: * Beautiful and Relaxing Music: Enhance the coloring experience with music that soothes the soul, carefully selected to complement each biblical story. * Tailored for Toddlers: We understand the joy and challenge of coloring for little ones. Our app is designed with features like the "Magic" pencil to assist in staying within the lines, making it enjoyable for all skill levels. * "Magic" Pencil Magic: A few simple strokes and watch as the colors fill the pages, captivating your child’s imagination and bringing the Bible stories to life. * Eraser Tool: Perfect for little mistakes, our eraser tool ensures that your child can easily correct and continue their artwork without frustration. * Save and Share: Easily save your toddler’s masterpieces to your device, allowing you to cherish and share these moments of creativity and learning with friends and family. * Weekly New Pages: Keep the excitement alive with new coloring pages added every week, ensuring there's always a fresh way to learn and engage with the Bible. * Explore Biblical Stories: From Noah's Ark to the story of Creation, our app covers a wide range of Bible stories, depicted in kid-friendly art and narratives. It's a fun way for kids to learn about faith, love, and the teachings of Christianity. Educational and Interactive: Not just an app for coloring, but a space where toddlers can grow in their faith and understanding of the Bible. It’s a hands-on learning experience that combines fun, faith, and education. "Coloring Pages: Bible Stories for Toddlers" is more than just an app; it's a gateway to introducing your child to the Christian faith and the Bible in an interactive and joyful way. Join us in laying the foundation for a lifelong journey of faith through play, creativity, and learning. Privacy Policy We know how important privacy is to you and your family. Learn more about our privacy policy here: https://ztudio.app/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://ztudio.app/tos.html End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ About ztudio ztudio is a developer of games for kids. We develop games with educational values that help kids to grow and always make sure that our games are safe and do not contain inappropriate content.

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Great coloring book for kids.

This app is such a great way for kids to get exposed to our religion outside of our Sunday sermons.

Love this app!

It’s perfect for toddlers to explore Bible stories with simple, vibrant coloring pages. A fun and engaging way to introduce faith.

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• Shinn leads new study of cash payments and peer support to reduce homelessness

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Apr 12, 2024, 4:00 PM

By Jenna Somers

Infancy is the age at which someone is most likely to live in a homeless shelter. If that sounds surprising, consider that poverty is the main reason families with young children become homeless. Given the high costs of childcare across the country, often parents leave the workforce to care for their young children. That loss of income plus the cost of housing can sometimes leave families without a home.

To help reduce homelessness among young families, Beth Shinn is beginning a new study to test whether unconditional direct cash payments and peer support to families who are homeless will help reduce the length of shelter stays and improve other aspects of their lives.

“This study was essentially designed by lived-expertise consultants, a team of mothers who had stayed in New York City shelters with their young children. When we asked them what would help families leave a shelter most rapidly and promote family well-being, the consultants said cash and peer support,” said Shinn, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor of human and organizational development at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development .

For decades Shinn has studied how to prevent and end homelessness, including in the Family Options Study , the first large-scale analysis of housing program options to end homelessness, now in its 13 th year. Supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this study found that housing vouchers were effective in stabilizing long-term housing.

The success of housing vouchers in the Family Options study informs Shinn’s rationale for testing the efficacy of unconditional direct cash payments, guided by the assumption that families, when given the funds, will know how to best spend the money to ensure they are able to leave and stay out of homeless shelters.

Shinn is collaborating with the Women in Need shelter system, the largest non-profit family shelter system in New York City. An anonymous family foundation is supporting the study with a $785,050 grant. One hundred families with a child two years old or younger at the start of the study will receive $17,000 per year (paid twice per month) and volunteer peer support for two years. Peers are women who have also gone through the shelter system as well as the numerous processes to establish housing and secure additional resources, such as opening a bank account and finding employment.

The study will include a comparison sample of 100 additional families at the WIN shelter who will only receive $600 per year without specialized peer support.  Both groups will get the usual care of the shelter system. Families who could have qualified for the study but aren’t in either the active or comparison groups will make up a larger passive group.

The primary outcome of the study will be to see whether recipients of the larger cash payments have shorter stays in the homeless shelters compared to the other two groups.

“We expect not only shorter stays in homeless shelters, but based on the findings from the Family Options Study, we also expect reductions in distress, domestic violence, substance abuse, and food insecurity, as well as better outcomes for children,” Shinn said.

Beth Shinn teaches in the Community Development and Action M.Ed. program and the Community Research and Action Ph.D. program .

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