Description

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This book pairs five centuries of music history with stunning illustrations of fascinating little creatures—insects, arachnids, and amphibians; wasps, butterflies, frogs, and snakes. A glossary of musical terms and a short biography of each composer are included along with a CD (plus a unique code for the digital download) of recordings performed by the likes of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Nashville Symphony.

About the Author

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Ana Gerhard studied as a concert pianist at the Mexican National Conservatory. Mauricio Gómez Morín has created several award-winning picture books and was the official spokesperson for the 36th International Children’s and Youth Book Fair in Mexico City.

Praise For…

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"An ambitious feast for the senses." — Kirkus Reviews

"‘Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music’ is a fascinating collections of classical music selection about insects, frogs, spiders, snakes, and butterflies. Illuminations of each selection and background about the composers are provided by Ana Gerhard, an accomplished pianist and music educator. Stunning illustrations portray each species represented in the style of the musical selection, showing delicacy, accuracy, such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Nashville Symphony, include the following: ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan/ Flight of the Bumblebee,’ by Rimsky Korsakov, ‘He spake the word, and there came all manner of flies.../ Israel in Egypt,’ by Handel, ‘From the Diary of a Fly/ Mikrokosmos,’ by Bartok, ‘Overture/ The Wasps,’ by R. Vaughan Williams, ‘The Night's Music/ Out of Doors,’ by Bartok, ‘Music of Insects, Frogs and Toads/ The Child and the Spells,’ by Maurice Ravel, ‘The Frogs,’ by Telemann, ‘The Wandering Tadpole,’ by Silvestre Revueltas, String Quartet opus 50, no. 6/ The Frog,’ by Haydn, ‘The Cricket,’ by Josquin des Prez, ‘March of the Grasshoppers/ Music for Children,’ by Sergei Prokofiev, ‘The Grasshopper,’ by Benjamin Britten, ‘Song of the Flea / Goethe's Faust,’ by Beethoven, ‘The Flea,’ by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, ‘Tarantella/ Bardic Sounds,’ by Johann Kaspar Metz, ‘The Spider in its Web/ The Spider's Feast,’ by Albert Roussel, ‘Entrance of the Ants/ The Spider's Feast,’ by Roussel, ‘The Butterflies,’ by Couperin, ‘Seven Butterflies, VI,’ by Kaija Saariaho, and ‘Sensemaya,’ by Revueltas. In addition to the illuminations and illustrations of the 20 different selections, ‘Little Creatures’ contains a Listening Guide, with further explanation and description of the use of orchestral sounds and instruments, a list of the composers with a thumbnail portrait and biography, an extensive Glossary of Musical Terms, and a Timeline of Composers and Periods using shadings of color to distinguish composition eras and the composers' placements within the Renaissance through 20th Century eras (1450-2000). ‘Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music’ is a fabulous find, and should not have its appeal limited to the juvenile audience only, although children ages 7-9 will undoubtedly enjoy it deeply." — Nancy Lorraine, Midwest Book Review