FICTION

Frogs Play Cellos: And Other Fun Facts

by Hannah Eliot
DISIENA, Laura Lyn & . illus. by Pete Oswald & Aaron Spurgeon. 32p. (Did You Know?). S. & S./Little Simon. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481414265; pap. $6.99. ISBN 9781481414258; ebk. $6.99. ISBN 9781481414272.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—In this picture book, readers learn about various instruments, from the cello to the piano to the cymbals, with some background information about each one. Unfortunately, the text is not well-organized, so children may be lost by all the information provided. The facts are fun and sometimes unusual, e.g., "the first trumpets ever used were made of conch shells!" The illustrations are populated with peppy animals playing different instruments, which may be the only thing that attracts kids. Music teachers are better off extracting the facts mentioned here in isolation rather than trying to use the book as a whole.—Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX
These numerous bites of musical information appear in a catchy Q-and-A format that is only occasionally distorted to achieve the gee-whiz factor (e.g., a "frog" is a component of the cello bow, but the animal doesn't play the instrument). Colorful cartoon animals aptly illustrate the information with a light touch, and the direct-address format and colloquial style are accessible. "Fun Facts" are appended.
Reviewed by Martha Rico , Jan 01, 2015

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