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Children’s Story Books for the Elementary General Music Classroom


Children’s books are a staple presence in the elementary general music classroom. They can be integrated into the curriculum in a variety of ways and serve multiple instructional objec- tives. There is an extensive repertoire of song storybooks, stories or picture books created to illustrate a song. Use of such books can enhance and deepen students’ engagement with a song. A story can also be read to stimulate children’s imagination about a topic related to a song or instrumental composition. Furthermore, stories can form the basis for creative activity such as a soundscape or musical narrative. Books about musicians can bring them to life for children and provide a foundation for understanding a per- former or composer’s background and life expe- riences. Folk tales from other lands can provide insight into musical culture and immerse chil- dren in the unique worldview of a people.


To compile a list of children’s books published in the last five years and suited to the elementa- ry general music classroom, I contacted several music teachers and received many great ideas, which I now share with readers. The books are presented alphabetically by author.


Anderson Halperin, Wendy. Peace. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. http://www.drawingchildrenintopeace.com A relevant theme presented in a beautifully illustrated book that ties peace to daily life experiences. Includes inspirational quo- tations. Accompany the book with songs about peace for additional enrichment. Grades K-3.


Bryan, Ashley. Can’t Scare Me! Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. This is a cautionary folktale about a boy who ignores his Grandma’s warnings about the many-headed giants who like to eat little boys who wander off. The book contains a refrain: “The little boy sang and


Marie McCarthy


played his flute: Toodle-oodle-oodle-oot! Tanto tanto, I’m wild and I’m free. Grand- ma’s stories can’t scare me! I’m bold, I’m brave, and though I may be small, no many-headed giant scares me at all.” The book can be used to introduce the flute, and the refrain can serve as the center of a composition activity. Grades K-3.


Celenza, Anna Harwell. Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. Illustrated by Don Tate. Charlesbridge; Rei/Com edition, 2011. http://www.annacelenza.com Celenza tells the true story of how Duke Ellington and his collaborator Billy Stray- horn recorded a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. A CD recording of the composition included. Grades 1-4. See also two more recent books by Celenza: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (2012) and Saint- Saens’s Danse Macabre (2013).


Flannery, Allison. In the Hall of the Mountain King. Illustrated by Vesper Stamper. Samizdat Publishing Group, LLC, 2013. This book shares the story behind Edvard Grieg’s famous composition. The story is engaging and exciting for young children. The illustrations capture the sweet yet mischievous character of Peer Gynt. The sequence of events in the story progresses as the musical events do within the piece of music. The book comes with a CD. Grades 1-3.


Lichtenheld, Tom, and Joe Raposo. Sing. Henry Holt and Co., 2013. This book illustrates Joe Raposo’s song “Sing,” as popularized by Sesame Street. The story is told entirely through the illus- trations, which show a bird who struggles to sing and leave the nest as his friends have done. A boy arrives with a guitar and begins to sing, “Sing.” As the song contin-


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