Music Is . . .

JOHNSON, Stephen T. Music Is....illus. by Stephen T. Johnson. 52p. S. & S./Paula Wiseman Bks. Oct. 2020. Tr $24.99. ISBN 9781416999508.

PreS-Gr 4–This book blends bright, colorful illustrations and short, catchy rhymes with detailed information about musical styles. As Johnson explains in the author’s note, the text was inspired by an idea found in Langston Hughes’s 1954 book The First Book of Rhythms: “Your rhythm on this earth began first with the beat of your heart.” Johnson offers rhymes that could resonate with young readers. For example, the “Rhythm and Blues” section includes a stanza about the “back-to-school blues,” and “Rock and Roll” details a bouncing game of hopscotch. Johnson’s ambitious attempt to capture the…

–Jen ­McConnel, Queen’s Univ., Ont.

This book introduces readers to ten different musical genres accompanied with fanciful illustrations. Descriptions of each genre include examples of songs, composers, and the instruments commonly used and associated with each genre. The short descriptions are accompanied by sound phrasing that is representative of the rhythms of each type of music which would be fun to read aloud. Throughout the text and illustrations an orange line leads the reader to the next genre to discover and connect with the different types of music. This short book is supplemented with text by the author explaining…

From classical to pop, an exploration of 10 Western musical genres with poetic words, images, and short essays.

Classical, Latin, jazz, country, heavy metal, hip-hop, rock ’n’ roll, rhythm and blues, and electronic are the genres amateur musician and award-winning illustrator Johnson has chosen to present. This unusually formatted book has a concertina binding, with one long piece of cardstock folded accordion style. It reads from the front like a picture book. Each spread presents a single genre in both words and pictures. Improvisation is a feature of many musical styles, the writer tells us. It’s also a good word for the poetic text, the scatlike syllables that convey the sounds, and the colors…

“Bright, colorful illustrations and short, catchy rhymes… in an accessible, knowledgeable format [that] is a solid success.” — School Library Journal “From classical to pop, an exploration of ten Western musical genres…The child audience of readers, listeners, and players will find this a rich resource to explore.”