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Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music
This book pairs five centuries of music history with stunning illustrations of fascinating little creatures—insects, arachnids, and amphibians; wasps, butterflies, frogs, and snakes. A glossary of musical terms and a short biography of each composer are included along with a CD (plus a unique code for the digital download) of recordings performed by the likes of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Nashville Symphony.
- GenresMusicPicture Books
62 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2019
23 people want to read
About the author
Ana Gerhard
24 books6 followersAna Gerhard is an award-winning children's author specializing in classical music. Her works have been published in English, French, and Spanish, and have garnered international accolades, including the prestigious Parents' Choice Gold Award in the United States. Gerhard studied as a concert pianist at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico and is a renowned music educator.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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May 10, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 19, 2019
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
When you can educate a child while you are entertaining her or him, then you've succeeded. Little Creatures, by Ana Gerhard does this with gusto.
Introducing a child to an art form, especially something in the 'classics' (i.e. classical music, art, literature) is often a challenge (typically because a child is exposed to so much pop culture in everyday life) but what Gerhard does is select a subject that children can identify with ... animals and insects. Fortunately there have been a few composers and compositions that draw inspiration from the animal kingdom from which Gerhard has to choose.
Some of these selections are fairly obvious - "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov and "The Frog" by Hayden and "Two Insect Pieces" by Britten - and some much less so - "Israel in Egypt" by Handel, "Bardic Sounds" by Mertz, and "Sensemayá" by Revueltas.
Each selected piece (there are twenty) gets one brief description and a double page spread of artwork (beautifully and wildly created by Mauricio Gómez Morin). In the description, we typically learn a little about the animal selected, how the composer uses that animal's sound in the selected audio piece, and maybe a little bit about the composer.
Selected musical terms are highlighted and there is a glossary at the back of the book that is quite helpful.
While targeted to a child, unless the adult reading this to/with the child is quite familiar with the classical music world (I am not) then there is plenty for the adults to learn here as well, and this book seems to cater to we adults almost as much or more than to the youngsters. There is a section of the book with a mini biography of all the composers included in this volume, as well as a timeline of the composers' lives and the period of music in which they composed.
The book comes with a CD with sections of the selected works (and a listening guide inside the book). I have to admit that there were a few selections in which I simply could not hear the animal represented, but I recognize that this may not be true for all readers/listeners. I would have liked longer works on the CD, but I recognize the many challenges with that. Certainly most of the selected works can be found with a couple of quick online searches or by visiting a library with CD selections.
There is a lot to like about this book and it will be great to have on the bookshelf, but at the same time it feels like it is missing just a little something more. For me, it's the lack of story to draw the child in. Non-fiction is okay for children - it can be great! - but I still feel like for a child to sit and listen to someone reading to them they need to be drawn in by more than just the pictures, and the two or three paragraphs about each selected work just isn't captivating enough for the multiple readings a picture book usually provides.
Looking for a good book? If you are looking to encourage your child to appreciate classical music, or even if you want to learn more yourself, Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard, with art by Mauricio Gómez Morin, is a splendid choice. But the lack of a catchy narrative surrounding each piece may have some youngsters grow bored during the reading. This may be better for the older reader, despite the picture book format.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
When you can educate a child while you are entertaining her or him, then you've succeeded. Little Creatures, by Ana Gerhard does this with gusto.
Introducing a child to an art form, especially something in the 'classics' (i.e. classical music, art, literature) is often a challenge (typically because a child is exposed to so much pop culture in everyday life) but what Gerhard does is select a subject that children can identify with ... animals and insects. Fortunately there have been a few composers and compositions that draw inspiration from the animal kingdom from which Gerhard has to choose.
Some of these selections are fairly obvious - "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov and "The Frog" by Hayden and "Two Insect Pieces" by Britten - and some much less so - "Israel in Egypt" by Handel, "Bardic Sounds" by Mertz, and "Sensemayá" by Revueltas.
Each selected piece (there are twenty) gets one brief description and a double page spread of artwork (beautifully and wildly created by Mauricio Gómez Morin). In the description, we typically learn a little about the animal selected, how the composer uses that animal's sound in the selected audio piece, and maybe a little bit about the composer.
Selected musical terms are highlighted and there is a glossary at the back of the book that is quite helpful.
While targeted to a child, unless the adult reading this to/with the child is quite familiar with the classical music world (I am not) then there is plenty for the adults to learn here as well, and this book seems to cater to we adults almost as much or more than to the youngsters. There is a section of the book with a mini biography of all the composers included in this volume, as well as a timeline of the composers' lives and the period of music in which they composed.
The book comes with a CD with sections of the selected works (and a listening guide inside the book). I have to admit that there were a few selections in which I simply could not hear the animal represented, but I recognize that this may not be true for all readers/listeners. I would have liked longer works on the CD, but I recognize the many challenges with that. Certainly most of the selected works can be found with a couple of quick online searches or by visiting a library with CD selections.
There is a lot to like about this book and it will be great to have on the bookshelf, but at the same time it feels like it is missing just a little something more. For me, it's the lack of story to draw the child in. Non-fiction is okay for children - it can be great! - but I still feel like for a child to sit and listen to someone reading to them they need to be drawn in by more than just the pictures, and the two or three paragraphs about each selected work just isn't captivating enough for the multiple readings a picture book usually provides.
Looking for a good book? If you are looking to encourage your child to appreciate classical music, or even if you want to learn more yourself, Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard, with art by Mauricio Gómez Morin, is a splendid choice. But the lack of a catchy narrative surrounding each piece may have some youngsters grow bored during the reading. This may be better for the older reader, despite the picture book format.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2020
I am grateful to Edelweiss and The Secret Mountain for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book. The production of this title is fantastic and I think that it would be a great addition to any Library. In particular, young people with an interest in or curiosity about music will be engaged by this title.
The book is presented with a CD that has twenty classical music tracks. Each track on the CD has a companion two-page, illustrated spread in the book. Each track is explained as it relates to the "creatures" that are in it. There's a brief introduction to what makes a creature unique and then an explanation of how it is represented in the music.
The illustrations are varied, detailed, and quite beautiful. Some of them are representations of more traditional images, others are whimsical and would provide fodder for a great conversation! Mauricio Gómez Morin has created some stunning images to go with the tracks provided. Each image is detailed enough that it can provide a secondary focus whilst listening to the track.
In addition to the track pages, there is a Listening Guide that provides some hints as to how the creatures are portrayed in the music, how instruments represent certain movements, etc. There is a section with brief biographies of the composers of each track and quite an extensive glossary of musical terms. In the final pages of the book, there is a graphical timeline of the composers and which periods they were working in.
There's great attention to detail within this book. It's sturdy and the cover/pages are beautiful. Even the pocket for the cd and the disc are colorful. This is a lovely book that would be a wonderful gift or just a purchase for you and a young person to enjoy!
The book is presented with a CD that has twenty classical music tracks. Each track on the CD has a companion two-page, illustrated spread in the book. Each track is explained as it relates to the "creatures" that are in it. There's a brief introduction to what makes a creature unique and then an explanation of how it is represented in the music.
The illustrations are varied, detailed, and quite beautiful. Some of them are representations of more traditional images, others are whimsical and would provide fodder for a great conversation! Mauricio Gómez Morin has created some stunning images to go with the tracks provided. Each image is detailed enough that it can provide a secondary focus whilst listening to the track.
In addition to the track pages, there is a Listening Guide that provides some hints as to how the creatures are portrayed in the music, how instruments represent certain movements, etc. There is a section with brief biographies of the composers of each track and quite an extensive glossary of musical terms. In the final pages of the book, there is a graphical timeline of the composers and which periods they were working in.
There's great attention to detail within this book. It's sturdy and the cover/pages are beautiful. Even the pocket for the cd and the disc are colorful. This is a lovely book that would be a wonderful gift or just a purchase for you and a young person to enjoy!
March 11, 2020
A la vue de la couverture, on aurait pu penser à quelque chose de léger car les illustrations de Mauricio Gomez Morin sont sublimes et aériennes. Mais il ne faut pas s’y fier, on part pour une initiation à la musique classique, riche et complète, le choix des morceaux étant bien entendu capital. Dans ce livre on trouvera un glossaire des termes musicaux employés et croyez moi pour la néophyte que je suis c’était nécessaire. On trouve aussi un guide d’écoute qui reprend les caractéristiques de chaque morceau. Puis nous avons la biographie des compositeurs avec leur œuvres mais aussi en fin de livre, une chronologie des compositeurs et des périodes comme la Renaissance pour Joaquim des Prés ou le baroque pour le grand Haendel et cela s’étend jusqu’au XXe siècle avec des gens célèbres comme Béla Bartók ou Sergueï Prokofiev mais aussi Silvestre Revueltas et Kaija Saariaho que je ne connaissais pas. En tout, on trouve une vingtaine d’extraits de divers enregistrements. On peut se rendre compte à quel point la nature et les petites bestioles comme les mouches, sauterelles, araignées et autres grillons ont pu inspirer de nombreux compositeurs mais je dois avouer que les pièces du bourdon et des grenouilles sont particulièrement plaisantes. Il y a un grand choix et les enfants pourront découvrir de manières ludiques des extraits d’œuvres majeures de Beethoven, Ravel et d’autres grands noms. Le Cd joint est d’une durée de 35 minutes et apporte qualité des sons et un divertissement que seuls les livres disques peuvent nous procurer le tout porté par des orchestres de renommée internationale. Mon morceau préféré est celui de Josquin des Près nommé Le Grillon car c’est un morceau chanté et les voix sont superbes. Merci pour cette belle découvertes qui résonne à la maison depuis plusieurs semaines sans que l’on s’en lasse ; Bonne lecture et bonne écoute.
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January 9, 2020
Twenty pieces of classical music by composers from around the world are found in this book/CD collection about small animals and insects.
Opening with the well-loved “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov (bee), “The Child and the Spells” by Ravel (insects), “The Frogs Violin Concerto” by Telemann (frogs) and “The Wandering Tadpole” by Revueltas (a pantomime ballet for puppets based on a poem about frogs by Rafael Pombo) and “Tarantella” from Bardic Sounds b Martz. A few lesser known pieces are included Handel’s “He Spake the Word” from Israel in Egypt and Bartok’s “From the Diary of a Fly” by pays a tribute to flies, Vaughan Williams’ “Overture” to The Wasps, “The Cricket” by de Prez, “March of the Grasshoppers” by Prokofiev, the electrified “Seven Butterflies, VI” by Saariaho. Other critters mentioned in musical titles include fleas, spiders, and ants.
A variety of musical period styles feature selections by instrumentalists and choral pieces, ranging from under 1 minute to just over 2 minutes. Ana Gerhard has written just enough about each song that youngsters get a feeling why the piece is included in this collection and a little about each creature. Collage and mixed media illustrations by Gomez Morin are colorful and lively and will also help keep young listeners engaged. Appended to the back are a listening guide that would be perfect for a teacher to use with a class explaining how the musical sounds are made, biographies about the composers, a glossary of musical terms, and a timeline of composers and musical periods.
A lovely introduction for young listeners and old! Great for Music Appreciation classes.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 12.
Opening with the well-loved “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky-Korsakov (bee), “The Child and the Spells” by Ravel (insects), “The Frogs Violin Concerto” by Telemann (frogs) and “The Wandering Tadpole” by Revueltas (a pantomime ballet for puppets based on a poem about frogs by Rafael Pombo) and “Tarantella” from Bardic Sounds b Martz. A few lesser known pieces are included Handel’s “He Spake the Word” from Israel in Egypt and Bartok’s “From the Diary of a Fly” by pays a tribute to flies, Vaughan Williams’ “Overture” to The Wasps, “The Cricket” by de Prez, “March of the Grasshoppers” by Prokofiev, the electrified “Seven Butterflies, VI” by Saariaho. Other critters mentioned in musical titles include fleas, spiders, and ants.
A variety of musical period styles feature selections by instrumentalists and choral pieces, ranging from under 1 minute to just over 2 minutes. Ana Gerhard has written just enough about each song that youngsters get a feeling why the piece is included in this collection and a little about each creature. Collage and mixed media illustrations by Gomez Morin are colorful and lively and will also help keep young listeners engaged. Appended to the back are a listening guide that would be perfect for a teacher to use with a class explaining how the musical sounds are made, biographies about the composers, a glossary of musical terms, and a timeline of composers and musical periods.
A lovely introduction for young listeners and old! Great for Music Appreciation classes.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 12.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews