Copland: A Story About America

by Veronica Mang

A spirited picture book biography about composer Aaron Copland and the birth of modern America

This is a story about music.
But it's also a story about America.

Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900 at the dawn of a new generation. In a community of immigrants, he had a front-row seat to the many ways that the United States was growing and changing. During this electrifying time, Aaron began making music as dynamic and innovative as the people and progress around him. While some didn't understand his style or appreciate his desire to break the rules in his compositions, he endeavored to create a sound that reflected the America he knew and loved.

Vibrantly brought to life by the words and illustrations of Veronica Mang, A Story About America is an ode not only to the composer known as the Dean of American music but also to a century of dramatic cultural and social change that created a new world.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Music, Jewish, LGBT, History

40 pages, Hardcover

Published February 24, 2026

About the author

Veronica Mang is the author and illustrator of the Secret Spy Society series. She grew up in Perkasie, PA and later moved to New York City to attend college at Parsons School of Design where she now teaches as an adjunct. She lives in Jersey City, NJ with two cats and an engineer.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don’t read this book and hear Aaron Copland’s music echoing in your mind, it is an absolute necessity to go and listen to his most famous and captivating works such as Fanfare for the Common Man, Hoe Down, and Appalachian Spring. And we must do the same for the kids we share this book with. Just like George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, Copland’s music is definitive American classical music.

[Rachel N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informational in the back matter, but this is one of those picture books that feels aimed at grown-ups, not children.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The phrase repeated throughout the book is that this is a story of music and America.

Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900, the youngest of five children born to Russian immigrants. His parents ran a department store and they all lived upstairs. Everyone helped out in the store. When Aaron was eleven, he learned to play the piano from his older sister. Soon he was traveling to Manhattan for more advanced lessons - which opened up a whole new world to him. At 21, he decided to become a musician and set sail for Paris through a special post-World War 1 study program. In Paris he took music lessons from a female musician (they remained friends forever) and then he returned to America but most people didn't really understand his music. It sounded different. Aaron didn't give up - during the Great Depression, he remained observant of everything that was going on around him. And then he wrote Fanfare for the Common Man which struck a chord with everyone.

I love Copland's music but I really didn't know anything about him. Now I do.

There is a more in depth bio at the end that discusses some of the hardships he faced. He was blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings. He was openly gay and created a supportive community for other artists. Copland's music is intrinsically American and helps us to explore what being an American means. There is also a short bibliography plus recommended reading AND listening for kids.
Copland said, "Composers don't write music to console their audiences as though they were composing lullabies. They write music to stir people up, to make them think about the varieties of human experience depicted in their work."

Take a peek under the dust jacket - the cover of the book is different. Also, there is a new Cyndi Lauper biography for kids (Like a Rainbow: The Colorful Story of Cyndi Lauper) that would go well with this one about Copland. They have similar stories. While Aaron's story starts in 1900, Cyndi's starts in the 1950s. It would make a nice comparison - especially listening to both Copland and Cyndi Lauper.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Veronica Mang
Title: Copland: A Story about America
Publication date: 2026
Category: TBD
Brief Annotation: Copland becomes in love with music and sets out to make music that describes America.
Interest level: 1st to possibly 3rd grade
Themes: Music, America, Jewish, immigrants, LGBT
Ways to use this book with children: This could be used in music class depending on the unit, such as read this book and then listen to Copland's music or see a production of one of his ballets. It can also be used to discuss what is America and its music.
Diversity: There were various skin tones. Copland came from an Jewish immigrant family. While it was implied through pictures, the back material said Copland was gay.
Where/how you found the book: Searching for what is new at my public library.
Other Info: The pictures implied LGBT content (depending on cultural background), because two guys were holding hands. The back material said that Copland was gay. It was mentioned he had a partner.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Veronica Mang's marvelous colors and illustrations in her picture book biography about composer Aaron Copland. Her artwork reflects his fresh, lively style which influenced American music in the twentieth century. I liked the introductory information about music and Copland on the fly leaf before we begin the story. Mang repeats throughout the text that this is a story about music and not only about Copland. The publisher suggests the book is for ages 4 to 8. I think the text seems heavy and lengthy for younger children, but older children would enjoy it especially if they also heard some of Copland's music. Mang did an excellent job on the back matter which includes details about Copland, an Author's Note, Suggested Listening for Kids, Further Reading for Kids, and a Selected Bibliography.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WONDERFUL picture book biography of Aaron Copland that stretches from his parents experience as Jewish immigrants to Brooklyn in the Ellis Island era, to his old age. The illustration style is really quite lively and spirited and fills the pages with bustling life! I especially love the Brooklyn streetscapes, the illustrations of social movements, and the dancing!

[Rebecca]

Lovely and artistic artwork and artistic writing as well, which fits the subject of the book well. The art felt like a nice visualization of Copland's music and I could hear his music as I was reading.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC from Edelweiss.

[David Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, and honestly the most incredible art I've ever seen.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Nicely written, but it never actually mentions the names of any of the pieces he composed outside of the backmatter?

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous art & a good view into 1920s and beyond in America. Would be great for a music class.

[Mary Louise Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography looks like dancers, American jazz, the Great Depression and entices readers to listen to Copland’s music.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted with my whole soul to love this book and I just didn't. I think it is perfectly serviceable in both image and text, but it didn't inspire me to know more about Aaron Copland.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book biography is so broad and tries to address so many themes that it ends up falling short, and it will appeal far more to adults than to children.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aaron Copland rises from the ghetto in NYC to create music to represent the sound of America.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells the story of Copland in a compelling way, with good back matter! Liked the movement of the illustrations, too.

[JL Salty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about this wonderful composer.
Diversity: gay couple, some physical disability represented