Play, Mozart, Play!

by Peter Sís

In celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday, a picture book takes a look at the childhood years of this genius musician and his incredible accomplishments through fun, full-color illustrations and accessible text.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

PETER SÍS is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, filmmaker, painter and author. Born in 1949 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and grew up in Prague. He studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. His animated work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He came to America in 1982, and now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with his family. Peter Sís is the first children's book artist to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2012 he won The Hans Christian Andersen Award.

His many distinguished books include Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet: Through the Red Box, Madlenka, Rainbow Rhino, The Tree of Life: Charles Darwin, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, and The Conference of the Birds.

Reviews

[Mila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Mozart had to practice and wasn't allowed to play with other children. The illustrations must relate to his music but sadly I don't recognize the burning candle wax man, singing cat, trio of singing pears with wings on a cloud, owl holding a mirror, trio of snail men with candles on their backs, trumpeting elephant. I would have loved to see an explanation.

[Correen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written for children, covers the childhood of Mozart, his practice requirements, concerts with his sister, and his contribution. The pictures are wonderful and fun.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible biography for even young readers love how the illustrations convey Mozart's music.

[Beckiezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not this book’s fault that I just spent an hour reading a very detailed picture book about Da Vinci so this book directed toward a much younger audience feels woefully inadequate as a biography, but it really is lacking in details. It’s probably great for kids below school age learning about music history. I appreciated its shortness and lack of words and the drawings were interesting and seemed to allude to things the book didn’t actually include which might’ve been nice to actually learn about because this is my only introduction to Mozart so I’m not getting any inside jokes.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The remarkable life of Mozart of both how he was driven by his father to practice and play constantly. His life was an overwhelming parade of practice, play, perform. Peter Sis's use a lot of different techniques and artist styles to present Mozart's life. Hues of illustrations in pastel colors for some scenes, complement the narrative while other scenes are a bit sad: no normal childhood for him!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of felt bad for Mozart -- it comes across very clearly that he wasn't enjoying a traditional childhood. It's weird. I don't think things should be whitewashed, but I also don't know if being forced to play for hours on end is something that should be celebrated by this book.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mozart charms the world with his musical talent which he got from lots of practice.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart uses his imagination to escape the boredom of constant piano practice.

[Meghan Collins]

Play, Mozart, Play! is a book about, you guessed it, Mozart. It is a quick, easy read for young children, or for teachers that want to introduce famous musicians to children. The book is about his life as a child and growing up through music. It informs the readers of his talents as a child: he could play blindfolded, backwards, and with the piano keys covered up. He played throughout his entire life, traveling all over the world playing for famous people that have personally requested him.

I chose this book for my love of music, and personally because I believe in the power of classical music for young children. I especially loved how this books written like any fictional children's book. When children hear the word factual book, my guess is that they would turn away fast. But this book is designed to be enjoyable for students. The words are easy and few, and do not cover the page. The illustrations are big, and colorful and do an excellent job of painting the descriptions of young and old Mozart.

I would probably use this book in the classroom if we were doing a unit on music, or doing a short lesson about different composers or historical figures. Older children can read this book by themselves and then record some of the factual information they learned while reading. I could also read this book to younger students and have a discussion with them about what composers do, and what Mozart did when he was younger and where he traveled. I could also have the discussion with children of all ages about the importance of history, and studying famous people that have impacted the world with their talents. This book would be a great example for that.

[Allison Burgess]

Sis, P. (2006). Play, Mozart, play!. Greenwillow Books.

Citation by: Allison Burgess

Type of Reference: Biography

Call Number: 92

Content/Scope: This book playfully describes Mozart's life as a child prodigy. Readers will learn about his life through adulthood, with an after-word full of information.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: Greenwillow books is an imprint of HarperCollins publishers, a reputable company in children's books.

Arrangement/Presentation: This 32 page biography is full of beautiful and engaging illustrations by Peter Sis. an after-word provides more information about Mozart's adult life.

Relation to other works: There are other biographies about Mozart, but this is presented in a way that young students can understand and relate to.

Accessibility/Diversity: This book about Mozart represents European culture that many students do not have access to or an understanding of.

Cost: $16.99

Professional Review: Sutton, R. (2006). [Play, Mozart, Play!]. Horn Book Magazine, 82(4), 470-471.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are what make this story good. Colorful, imaginative, with some scenes depicted from different perspectives (sometimes we are looking at Mozart from above, which is interesting).

I was a little disturbed at the sad undertones of Mozart's friendless, and unchildlike childhood. His stern father is depicted as a gray outline, always pointing and ordering his son, as the title tells us, to "play, Mozart, Play!" But I think it tells the story of his childhood in a way that is appropriate for younger children (preschool - 1st grade), and would make a good read aloud.

[Ashley Dement · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in Play, Mozart, Play were done using a large variety of different techniques. The cover and many pages inside were done using what appears to be colored pencils. There is a lot of details and shading, which add a lot of character to the pictures. Other illustrations were made using water color paints, and other pictures were created by simply using ink pens. Some of the illustrations incorporate more than one of these schemes, which was both enjoyable and unique. This story told a simplified version of the life of Mozart that I think children can easily follow along and understand.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about the saddest book I've read in a long time. I wasn't really sure if the author was celebrating Mozart's life, or mourning it. Yes, Mozart was one of the greatest composers of all time, but at such a great cost. He was denied a childhood, and, although it wasn't in the story, he died impoverished and was buried in a pauper's grave.

I was going to give this book three stars because of the story's ambiguity, but I had to add the extra star for the beautiful and imaginative illustrations.

[Chris Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you capture the essence of a musical prodigy and make it accessible to children? If you are Peter Sis, you keep the text simple and let an entire musical universe unfold through illustrations that start in Mozart's practice room, unroll across his sheet music and dance through his imagination. Students are in for a interesting biography lesson as well as a visual feast that will beg for re-reading.

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated this book is an introduction to the life-story and music of composer Mozart and a story of the sacrifice that is often involved in success. Reminiscent of the illustrative style of the old German folktale Struwwelpeter (Shock-headed Peter), this book is likely to be more appreciated by adults than children.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very odd picture book. Fascinating from an adult readers perspective, it's the story of young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical prodigy toured about Europe to play in court before royalty when he was just six years old. As an adult who loves Mozart's music it's quite interesting, I'm just not sure how interesting it would be to the toddlers.

[Kari Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a father who pushed his son to play the piano. He was really good and traveled around the world playing. He could also play different ways. I recommend this book for reading at the second or third grade level. Students that play the piano or like music would really enjoy this book. This book could also be a good example for determination.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations, but not much on Mozart. At first I thought there was going to be a message about how he was forced to play as a child...and really didn't have a childhood, but that didn't develop. No sources for the information. As usual, I learned things I didn't know...but do I need to verify?

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very short biography about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for small children. It emphasizes the importance of practice, but even more, the importance of play. The narrative is short and the illustrations are whimsical. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read that introduces children to Mozart. The illustrations were well done, colorful and imaginative. The book, though fun, is a little sad, but probably pretty accurate. Mozart didn't have a normal childhood, but he didn't have a normal adulthood either. He created masterpieces that will be remembered forever!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really care for this book. It didn't give much information about Mozart and it was often difficult to understand what the author was trying to say.

A book we won't repeat. I much prefer the Mike Venezia series for learning about composers and artists.

[Tanya Wadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about Mozart. Kids enjoyed learning, then we listened to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik on youtube. The think it wouldn't be very fun to practice music all the time and not play with friends.

[Leah Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very limited introduction to Mozart. But beautifully written and the illustrations are musical. It was perfect for us when my son (3rd grade) was studying Mozart in school as an accompaniment for his little sister (4 year old).

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative picture book biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Peter Sis's lively illustrations are rich in detail and do a great job of capturing the depth of Mozart's talent and commitment to music. A wonderful introduction to Mozart for young readers.

[Whole And · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Sis captivates the reader no matter what the subject. He draws us in once more to learn about Mozart as a young boy. Discover the imagination, musical components and vastness of Mozart's life works. An excellent introduction to Mozart, great composers and music in general.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor guy. It's a wonder he didn't end up robbing convenience stores.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, acurate look at Mozart.

[Lorriezm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this picture book several times and each time I enjoy it more. The illustrations are beautiful and it is a great child's eye view of Mozart's life. Isn't Peter Sis the greatest?

[Danis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations; they were very vivid and colorful without being too distracting. They definitely helped to tell the story. I would place this book in my library.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my baby sister too