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My family plays music
2003
Where is it?
Fiction/Biography Profile
Characters
Unnamed (Girl), Plays percussion (bells, wind chimes, cowbell, maracas, cymbals, drums, triangle, tambourine) along with all the styles of music people in her family can play
Genre
Fiction
Juvenile
Topics
Big band music
Jazz music
Country music
Blues music
Classical music
Rock music
Hymns
Music
Families
Large Cover Image
Trade Reviews
Publishers Weekly Review
In Cox's (Now We Can Have a Wedding!) rhythmic story, a cheerful African-American girl introduces the members of her family, each of whom plays an instrument in a different musical setting-with the aspiring young percussionist accompanying. When her mother plays fiddle in a country-and-western band, the girl shakes the tambourine; when her father plays cello in a string quartet, she picks up the triangle; when her sister plays clarinet in the marching band, she works the cymbals; and when her brother plays lead guitar in a rock 'n' roll band, she rings the cowbell. The woodblock, maracas, rhythm sticks and wind chimes are among the other percussion instruments the child plays alongside other family musicians, who perform in a jazz club, and polka and bluegrass bands, among other places. In a playful final performance, the girl bangs on a soup kettle when her toddler niece "plays the pots and pans, drumming on them with a wooden spoon." First-time illustrator Brown's cut paper art, which features a pleasing palette blending muted and vibrant hues, is perhaps a bit too stylized to match the narrative's buoyant tempo. The facial features of the characters, including the narrator, disappear when the figures are pictured in the background. A glossary offers concise explanations of the musical genres, venues and instruments. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-More a celebration of sound than a story, this upbeat picture book explores 10 different types of music. The young African-American narrator introduces each member of her extended family and the style of music he or she plays, from blue grass to marching band to rock 'n' roll to church hymns. As different as these genres are, this girl can always play along with each of her relatives, keeping the beat with an appropriate percussion instrument, including the cymbals, a cowbell, and maracas. Finally, she joins her young niece on the floor to drum on pots and pans. A glossary defining all the musical terms and genres appears on the last page. The cut-paper illustrations are vibrant and filled with energy. The bright reds, sunny yellows, and deep blues are similar in palette to Synthia Saint James's artwork. Pair this title with Lloyd Moss's Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (S & S, 1995) for a fun and useful introduction to music.-Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 1. This is a good year for books about music, including Aliki's Ah, Music! BKL Je 1 & 15 03 and this charmer about a family of music makers. The young female narrator starts off describing a page of pictures of her family. We all love music, she says, and the images include those of instruments as well as of musicians. Her mom plays fiddle in a country band, and the girl plays the tambourine. Her dad plays cello in a string quartet, and she plays the triangle. And so it goes throughout the family: her sister plays a clarinet in the marching band, and she plays the cymbals; her brother plays lead guitar in a rock-'n'-roll band; her grandma plays bluegrass banjo and her grandpa the polka tuba. The paper-cut illustrations vibrate with color and--almost--with sound. The multiracial family with its rainbow of skin tones is not only a lovely multicultural statement but also a vivid reflection of contemporary families and musical tastes. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2003 Booklist
Horn Book Review
In this celebration of music's communal aspect, an African-American girl introduces her relatives one by one and describes their different musical passions--e.g., her mom plays fiddle in a country band; her dad plays cello in a string quartet--plus her own musical role in their respective groups. The inviting tableaux are created with cut-paper collage in flat slabs of both bright color and earth tones. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Here's a clan that outdoes even the Marsalis family. From her great grandmother, who plays a cathedral's mighty pipe organ, to little niece Sadie, who plays pots and pans in the kitchen, it seems that everyone related to this high-energy young narrator is a musician. And she's no exception, either: in fact, she plays with them all, on tambourine, triangle, cowbell, woodblock, maracas, handbell, and more. In cut-paper collages that look silk-screened, Brown depicts this exuberant percussionist with cornrows and a big grin, confidently accompanying big band and string quartet, dancing on club stages, and joining marching bands, plainly welcome wherever she goes. A closing glossary explains some of the terms and musical genres mentioned here, but it's the pride this child takes in her family, and her place in that family, that readers will remember most clearly. (Picture book. 6-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary
The music of bongos, cowbells, maracas, and even pots and pans fills the air. In this introduction to music, a spunky girl finds the perfect percussion instrument to play along with each member of her musical family.
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