Editorial Review
Eye-catching illustrations, engaging text and delightful musical selections on the accompanying 70-minute CD lead children ages 8 to 12 (and parents, too!) on an exciting and educational tour through the instruments and music of the orchestra. Illustrated in exquisite and colorful detail with over 100 original drawings and photographs, this package is a fun and exciting musical journey for children. The engaging text is broken into three sections: an introduction to each instrument of the orchestra from the cello to the timpani, the stories of famous composers from Bach to Stravinsky and an explanation of different musical styles from Baroque to Modern. Each step of the way, children can listen to actual musical examples of what they are learning about. Young readers will hear the sound of an actual violin as they study the instrument and enjoy the playful tune of a Mozart minuet as they read about the composer's precocious exploits as a child.
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Customer Reviews
Just what I was looking for! 
2008-01-08
My 5 yo LOVES this book, and especially the music CD. We've only read a few pages, and already she knows what a composer is, who Vivaldi was, and even what color hair Vivaldi had. Okay, so that last one is mostly just useless trivia, but my daughter also can tell me a little about what makes a concerto a concerto, and she also recognizes by sound one of the pieces from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
The first time we sat down with this book, we played the sample of the Spring portion of the Four Seasons. Both girls, ages 3 and 5, got up and danced like little birds and butterflies, then the 5 yo did an impression of a new flower growing. The 5 yo begged to take the CD to bed with her at naptime (she's allowed to listen to music on her CD player). She listened to that one track over and over for days during her naps. Then one day when I went to get her up from her nap, I found she had decided to listen to the other tracks. She had found another song that had captivated her interest--"It's SOOO beautiful, Mommy!"
The facts and information in this book are advanced enough to educate me (and I've played one instrument or another for most of my life), while being straightforward and interesting enough to fascinate preschoolers. I like the organization of the information into tidbits all over the page--that makes it much easier to remember more of it. I love the interaction with the CD, so that we can learn the sounds of songs and instruments. We also have posters on our wall featuring different instruments, and the girls love to find the instrument we're discussing on the poster, then ask about other instruments that are similar. (Vivaldi was primarily a violinist, by the way!)
And in case you're wondering, Vivaldi's hair was red. That's why they called him "The Red Priest." :)
Will a 2 1/2 year-old like this? YES! 2007-03-23
Our 2 1/2 year-old daughter loved Zin Zin the Violin (another book-on-tape about an orchestra), so we also bought Story of the Orchestra for her, hoping she would keep learning more about music. We initially thought this one may be a little advanced for her since most descriptions list it for 6+ year-olds. Nope. We've had this book for a few weeks, and she reads the book (with the CD) multiple times a day, citing the name of each composer and instrument. There's nothing better than hearing your child say "Tchaichovsky" or "glockenspiel". Other side benefits are that she's learned how to use her CD player and how count and recognize numbers up to 37 - how many tracks there are on the CD.
The book contains kid-friendly illustrations, quotes, and stories about each composer and instrument that make kids (and parents) easily learn a lot of information about the orchestra. Then, about 80% of the composers and instruments have an accompanying CD track (about 2 minutes/track) that you can play on each page, in order to hear an example. It's usually a prominent composer's example where this instrument is featured. So, your child will actually be well-versed in some classical tunes by the end.
There are a few other books about orchestra's and instruments out there, but we rank this book/CD at the top for young children. My wife's a teacher, and she says this book would be a great part of a lesson plan or two.
Great book-Kids love it 2007-01-09
My family just loves this book. The music is enchanting and well picked and the page layout allows my young reader to read as much as he wants or just a little, yet he still gets great information either way.
should have this if you teach music 2007-01-08
This book is great for teaching elementary school kids about instruments! Comes with pictures and facts! must have!
Great book, BUT.... 
2006-09-22
I play violin & viola and purchased this book for a lesson plan for one of my education courses. The only "issue" you could say, that I have with this book is the example that is given for the viola track. 45 seconds of a concerto that makes it sound like a violin (the Bartok finale!). They could have chosen a better clip to use (like say the Telemann). haha! Maybe I'm a bit bias.
The book is great with all things aside, and very informative for those that know nothing of the orchestra. It's too bad they don't list the performers on the CD! Don't let my bias deter you from purchasing this book! It's great for kids!
Homeschool Parent 2008-05-09
Excellent tool for teaching your children about the Orchestra. The CD that comes with it is great.
I love this book! 2008-03-28
I purchased this book in preparation for teaching a group of homeschooled students (ages 7-14) a short course in music appreciation. It was a terrific resource for them. The text was brief but engaging; the cartoons were entertaining; and the photography was so eyecatching. It covered the musical periods, with information on several representative composers. Then each of the orchestra sections was covered, with a helpful CD included to hear snips from pieces that featured the instruments. The students all learned quite a bit from this book. I recommend it highly.
Highly Entertaining and Educational 2008-02-27
I was looking for resources to help make teaching about classical music and composers to primary grade children more entertaining and I found what I needed all wrapped up in this book and CD combination.
Part I of the book concerns composers and is separated into the periods in which they composed, ie., Baroque, etc., with a brief description of art, architecture and feeling of the period. The composers covered for all periods are Vivaldi, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mahler, Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein.
Part II of the book is about the instruments of the orchestra. Again, this is further broken down into the different sections of the orchestra such as strings, woodwinds, etc. Then within each of those sections a feature on the individual instruments.
The accompanying CD has brief examples of the compositions introduced in the composers section and for each instrument. It really helps the kids hear what they've been discussing.
One of the best things about this book are the illustrations. They are colorful and entertaining. Sometimes there are humorous illustrations such as a drawing of the ideal Baroque instrumentalist needing 2 right hands, 3 left hands, and 3 eyes which really had my 3rd grade kids in giggles after hearing the intricacies of "Spring" by Vivaldi. There are also entertaining illustrations showing how an instrument produces its sound and they are mixed with photographs of the instrument itself. I highly recommend this book for music teachers to use as a reference and for parents who have children interested in learning an instrument.
Excellent book and CD!!! 2008-02-14
"Santa" brought this book for our 4 year old. She loves it! It is layed out in a way that we can read just portions of each page without her getting overwhelmed. It is definitely a book she can grow with. Because a mom has to brag: My daughter can now easily name each instrument and knows which "family" it belongs. She laughs hysterically over Beethoven's picture, knows Tchaikovsky composed Swan Lake and the Nutcracker (the sweetest thing is hearing a 4 year old rattle of Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi!) etc. Highly recommended!
Discover the life and music of conductors and orchestras 2008-01-17
We bought this book (with accompanying CD) as a self-contained music course for our homeschooled son (10). Although he had no prior interest in orchestra music, he is reading along together with Mom in the book and listening to an excerpt of orchestra music once a week. The first part of the book has interesting tidbits on musical eras of orchestra music, with biographical overviews of some of the major conductors of each era. The second part of the book contains drawings and descriptions of various orchestra instruments. After a composer or instrument is discussed, the book then refers you to listen to a track on the CD that illustrates the composer's work or the instrument's sound. It's surprisingly difficult to find a good self-contained program for teaching music to children. This book and CD worked well for us.
