  | Music class today! Author: Weinstone, David | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
A group of toddlers enjoys a lively music class including, at last, one very shy two-year-old boy.
| Illustrator: | Vogel, Vin |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/01/15)
School Library Journal (07/01/15)
Booklist (11/01/15)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2015 PreS-K—A lively group of multicultural children and their adults stream into a brick building for a music class. Their guitar-strumming instructor sits on the floor, welcomes each by name, and sings out different activities including egg shakers, kicking feet, and various rhythm instruments. One boy is initially leery, by soon joins in the fun. Although this is based on Weinstone's franchise "Music for Aardvarks," this could be a scene from a public library program. Children will ask for repeated readings to catch all of the action in Vogel's boldly colored, expressive illustrations. This serves as an engaging model for a group activity along the lines of Anna McQuinn's Leo Loves Baby Time (Charlesbridge, 2014) and Julia Durango's rollicking Cha-Cha Chimps (S. & S., 2006). VERDICT A welcome addition to picture book collections.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 11/01/2015 Weinstone collaborates with Brazilian artist Vogel to produce a clever adaptation of the wildly popular interactive Music for Aardvarks program. Featuring his song “Music Class Today,” Weinstone zeroes in on a little boy’s first encounter with a music class. His hesitancy to get involved in the activities keeps him near his mother while he intently observes the other children dancing and playing instruments along with the guitar-strumming and singing instructor. Yet the lively lyrics and the children’s enthusiastic interactions are so inviting that the little boy ultimately joins in with the others. Vogel complements Weinstone’s lyrical text with colorful childlike caricatures that capture the magical and welcoming effects of music not only upon the diverse group of children but also upon one child’s inhibitions. Included in Weinstone’s debut are full lyrics, a guitar chart, and a website where readers can download his song for free, as well as additional hands-on musical activities. Whether read aloud or as a sing-along, this heartening, playful story is a great addition to music collections for home, school, or library programs. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.
