Let's Play an Instrument: A Music Book for Kids

Lovely book; does what it says!

Great illustrations. Wonderful way to introduce kids to musical instruments

I have not looked at the book but my daughter sent videos of my almost four-year-old grandson reading/looking at it. He would not look up when she spoke to him---He was that immersed in the book.

Very great book.

This is a well written book for kids. My toddler is obsessed with musical instruments, so of course he loves it. Sweet illustrations too!

Sweetly illustrated book that gives an impressive overview of all types of instruments. Kids will get a kick out of the many ways the author found to express the sound each instrument makes, from “plinkaty-plink” to “shaka-shaka cha-cha-cha!” Aside from the sounds, the author came up with poetically apt metaphors to describe the music, from fluttering like little birds (flute) to laughter (clarinet) to thunder (drums.) Players are depicted as cute children of all races. The almost midcentury style of the art lends itself well to depictions of the instruments. Makes me nostalgic for all wonderful illustrations in books from when I was a kid. Overall, a charming book with lots of kid-friendly information. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it seems like it could have had a more clever title, maybe something employing some of those wonderful sounds the author invented. I received a free reviewer copy of this book from the publisher.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher. Non-fiction books for the pre-K set are essential to teach young children about things outside their daily lives. Let’s Play an Instrument: A Music Book for Kids by Rachelle Burk and illustrated by Junissa Bianda fits that category perfectly. The book presents an overview of the four core instrumental groups: string, percussion, woodwinds, and brass. It’s an invitation for children and their families to focus on music as fans and potential musicians themselves. Let’s Play an Instrument delves into each instrumental family showing the variety of its members.. For example, for woodwinds, she presents clarinets, oboes, and saxophones. For string instruments, it's violins, the bass, and ukulele. Using a humorous touch, Burk depicts the sounds the instruments make and also provides some simple science (it’s physics) to explain how the sounds are created. To illustrate, for a string instrument, the “harder you press the bow, the louder the sound.” Or a wooden reed vibrates when “you blow into the mouthpiece of a woodwind.” Junissa Bianda illustrates the book in bright pastels. She portrays a diverse group of children celebrating their discovery of the many, many instruments Burk introduces to readers. The boys and girls are diverse. A boy plays the piano from a wheelchair. A girl plays the drums; a boy shakes the tambourine. The book is rich with details. Parents might best be served by dividing the reading of Let’s Play an Instrument: A Music Book for Kids over a few days for an experience both deeper and more manageable. The author and illustrator create a welcome place for all to learn about instruments and how music is made.

Let’s Play an Instrument: A Music Book for Kids is skillful in mixing details about well-known instruments with fun rhymes, sounds, and colorful images. We absolutely loved the way Rachelle Burk described the sound of each instrument: "plinkity-plink" for a guitar, "jingle-jangle, shicka-shicka-shicka" for a tambourine, etc. While the book is marketed to children ages 3 through 5, the content may be more appropriate for an older 3 year old or possibly the 4 to 6 age group. My almost 3 year old enjoyed having mommy read to him and make fun noises, however he did not connect as much with instrument descriptions and details. An older child will learn a lot in a clever manner about a variety of instruments, from what they look like to how one plays each to the way groups of instruments are categorized. While Burk does give lots of details about the instruments, the fashion in which she describes them is totally relatable to a kid; for example playing brass instruments is compared to blowing up a balloon or giving someone a raspberry. This would be a really fun book to use at a toddler/young child introductory music class where the children can see and hear the instruments and copy the sounds and motions in the book. If you have any instruments at home, integrating them into story time will definitely make for a more dynamic experience and help engage younger children. Our family is thankful that the publisher chose to send us an advance review copy of this book, it was a true treat to receive and read.

Hi there, the book looks great aside from 2 illustrations being doubled. The clarinet page alongside the clarinet with the flute page appear twice where there is supposed to be pictures of drums ("bass, snares, bongos and congas". Is there a way to be sent a new copy?