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Children's Book of Music
Music has always been an amazing way for people to connect with each other and to express their ideas and emotions. In this clear and lively introduction to music history, readers take a chronological journey around the world, exploring the sounds and rhythms of different cultures, the development of instruments, and the progression of musical styles. From the beginnings of music for ritual or magical purposes to the technological developments that have taken modern music in new directions, children will discover the fascinating history of music and how it has become an international exchange of ideas. The book also includes a bonus CD, featuring a selection of music from around the world.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
144 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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February 5, 2026Very good information, rather scattered in its organization.
Music is an incredibly broad topic, and this book attempts to deal with every hidden corner. It is ecumenical, addressing every genre with equal enthusiasm.
It does a good job of addressing the historical evolution of instruments. It has wonderful photographs of the very earliest whistles constructed by cavemen, lyres constructed by the Greeks, pianos and stringed instruments throughout the ages.
It does not do quite such a good job of describing how they work. I would like to know why a trumpet has valves. Why is it that bass instruments are bigger than trouble instruments? How does sound resonate in a hollow tube?
The diagrams of the history of music are a little bit too cute. A barely discernible trend line snakes back and forth across the page leading from one development to the next. The result is graphically interesting but it does not leave a great deal of room for text and it is hard to follow. I would've rather had a more prosaic list in chronological order of things such as, for instance, the way composers elaborated on each other's work throughout the Baroque Period.
The historical development is useful as an overview. It is nice to know that Palestrina was early Baroque; the Baroque period went from about 1600 to 1750, followed by the Classical through 1820 and then the Romance through the early 20th century. In the realm of classical music, it puts the weight where it ought to be, treating most 20th century orchestral music as rather a footnote to the great compositions of the preceding centuries.
The book is studiously agnostic with regard to the quality of music. It does not hesitate to name George Gershwin as a musical genius, but it does the same for pop stars such as David Bowie. I regret that I'm just an old fogey who likes to pretend that there was quality in earlier music that is absent today.
I bought this to teach my five-year-old about music. I'm sure we will use it, but it is not as useful as I would've hoped. Four stars.
Music is an incredibly broad topic, and this book attempts to deal with every hidden corner. It is ecumenical, addressing every genre with equal enthusiasm.
It does a good job of addressing the historical evolution of instruments. It has wonderful photographs of the very earliest whistles constructed by cavemen, lyres constructed by the Greeks, pianos and stringed instruments throughout the ages.
It does not do quite such a good job of describing how they work. I would like to know why a trumpet has valves. Why is it that bass instruments are bigger than trouble instruments? How does sound resonate in a hollow tube?
The diagrams of the history of music are a little bit too cute. A barely discernible trend line snakes back and forth across the page leading from one development to the next. The result is graphically interesting but it does not leave a great deal of room for text and it is hard to follow. I would've rather had a more prosaic list in chronological order of things such as, for instance, the way composers elaborated on each other's work throughout the Baroque Period.
The historical development is useful as an overview. It is nice to know that Palestrina was early Baroque; the Baroque period went from about 1600 to 1750, followed by the Classical through 1820 and then the Romance through the early 20th century. In the realm of classical music, it puts the weight where it ought to be, treating most 20th century orchestral music as rather a footnote to the great compositions of the preceding centuries.
The book is studiously agnostic with regard to the quality of music. It does not hesitate to name George Gershwin as a musical genius, but it does the same for pop stars such as David Bowie. I regret that I'm just an old fogey who likes to pretend that there was quality in earlier music that is absent today.
I bought this to teach my five-year-old about music. I'm sure we will use it, but it is not as useful as I would've hoped. Four stars.
March 16, 2018
A good book with lots of useful information and wide-range music knowledge
June 21, 2012
Just flipping through this book got me excited! This is a DK book and, as with all their books, has wonderful pictures and information. This book is an international look at music and progresses through time starting with the very earliest music known to exist all the way through modern music. It shows countless types of musical instruments and the period of time and the culture they were developed/became popular. The best thing I love is that they have a very clear chart of what exactly makes up an orchestra!
To top it all off, this book comes with a 1-hour audio CD with examples of music corresponding throughout the book!
While we only checked our copy out at the library, I am so excited to make this book apart of our home library!
To top it all off, this book comes with a 1-hour audio CD with examples of music corresponding throughout the book!
While we only checked our copy out at the library, I am so excited to make this book apart of our home library!
April 18, 2012
A fun book I found about music and the instruments that are used to make it. It also comes with a CD that gives the child a glimpes of how many types of music there is. The book gives the reader information on instruments and different types of music associated with each culture. It also gives a glossary of musical terms. Overall, this is a great book that gives children a glimpse of new cultures, different instruments, and the cultures associated with each one.
November 23, 2010
DK's amazing reference books are a must for any library, but this fantastic guide to the history of music is especially appropriate for Austin's budding music aficionados.
October 11, 2012
Tof boek, veel illustraties, veel muziek.
November 26, 2014
We loved learning about lots of different kinds of musical instruments.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews