A Symphony of Stories

This companion volume to ‘Once Upon a Tune’ continues to share the joy of music and art, inspiring young readers to explore the world of classical music and the stories it tells. ‘A Symphony of Stories’ offers six stories, most ‘retold from the original tales which inspired the composer’ and each beautifully illustrated. It is a stunning celebration of creativity- a book to keep and treasure.

Mayhew’s passion for these pieces shines through in his introduction, the accompanying notes and, above all, his fabulous illustrations which are completely captivating. There are even suggested recordings for each piece included, making it easy for adults at home or at school to share the music with children whilst enjoying the stories. From a teacher's perspective, the book is perfect for enriching the curriculum: music appreciation lessons, assemblies, story times, art lessons- all these are more could be inspired by ‘A Symphony of Stories’, sprinkling a little much- needed creative joy into learning!

I particularly enjoy ‘The Sunken Cathedral’ by Debussy, based on the Breton legend of the city of Ys, and ‘The Butterfly Lovers’ by H Zhanhao and Chen Gang, perhaps because I was less familiar with them. The notes at the end of the book were really helpful, both for background and for ‘understanding’ the music. I hope James Mayhew continues to write more books like this- and ‘Once Upon a Tune’- breathing life and love into more musical stories.

A Symphony of Stories

James Mayhew

Otter-Barry ISBN: 978-1915659347

You can read my review of ‘Once Upon a Tune’ here.

NNFN2024: Thank you for the Music

For many people, music is a hobby which is central to their lives. My grandfather played in orchestras all his life, my mother has always sung in choirs, my older brother plays guitar in a band and my younger plays drums in another. Music runs through our family- and ‘Thank you for the Music’ offers a practical guide to music from its origins to advice about working in the industry.

The book opens by offering a definition of music and its main elements before focusing on classical music. A typical plan of a symphony orchestra is given and then each of the instrument families are introduced. A timeline shows a selection of famous classical composers from Hildegard of Bingen to Kerry Andrew, giving the nationality and dates for each, offering a starting point for readers to discover more. The next section explores 20th century music and the different genres which have developed.

Different career possibilities are ‘zoomed in’ on, giving information about and advice on roles such as producer, therapist and DJ. The skills needed for each job are outlined along with an overview of the job requirements. With a final section about creating music, there is so much to enjoy and learn in this book. Further reading suggestions are also offered and a comprehensive index allows information to be quickly and easily located.

Thank you for the Music: A celebration of the value of creativity

Sarah Walden, illustrated by Hannah Li

Noodle Juice ISBN: 978-1915613189

Around the World in…

‘Around the World in 80 Trees’ celebrates the role played by trees across the Earth, starting with general information about the different types of tree and the parts which they share. Apparently, there are more than 60,000 different tree species and the book selects 80 of these from across the world to focus on. A gatefold in the centre of the book opens to reveal all of these 80 trees, showing how they relate to one another. For children learning about classification keys in Year 4 and Year 6 Science, this is very useful and the book might also support them when working scientifically to observe, identify and categorise the trees in their local environment.

The trees are organised in ‘continent’ sections, starting with a map of that region showing where the named trees are located. Snippets of text about each tree includes information about related myths and legends, statistics as well as how the tree is used by creatures and humans. It is a fascinating read, perfect for dipping in and out of or for reading in one sitting and returning to again and again.

A picture of each tree is included and the information about certain trees, like cherry and river red gum are presented as a two page spread, with additional illustrations. The book ends with a reminder about the importance of trees and how we can help them.

Beautifully presented, with contents and index, this is a book which will tempt children to explore the trees of the world.

Around the World in 80 Trees

Ben Lerwill, illustrated by Kaja Kajfez

Welbeck Editions ISBN: 978-1913519360

Also in the series is ‘Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments’. Focusing on the fact that music is something people all over the world have in common, this lovely book is organised into sections relating to how instruments make their sounds. Once again, there is a gatefold in the centre, showing how everything is related, although it offers the cautionary note that it’s not a perfect system for instruments!

Additional spreads focus on related topics such as the orchestra or the human voice and there is a page in each section- percussion, stringed and wind- suggesting how you might make your own instrument of this type. There are many instruments to discover and which might lead to further investigation by budding musicians!

Once again, the attractive format and appealing illustrations are sure to make this book a hit in schools and at home!

Around the World in 80 Musical Instruments

Nancy Dickmann, illustrated by Sue Downing

Welbeck Editions ISBN: 978-1913519353

Out on 14th April 2022