Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids

by Camille Saint-Saens, Barrie C. Turner (Commentaries by), Sue Williams (Illustrator)

Overview

The animals are having a carnival, and the guests are arriving. There's the majestic lion, the braying mules, the dancing elephant, and the bouncy kangaroos. Even the fossils join in with a fast and rattly dance. Everyone is invited!

Nearly 150 years ago, the composer Camille Saint-Saëns was asked by his pupils to write a musical joke for them. He wrote the Carnival of the Animals, a piece people enjoyed so much that it has now become one of Saint-Saëns's most famous works.

This accessible commentary, in a picture-book format, helps children follow each section of Saint-Saëns's classic piece while they listen to the CD. Whimsical illustrations, a simple text, and evocative melodies create an ideal introduction for young children to the world of classical music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805061802
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	04/21/1999
Series:	Classical Music for Kids Series
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	536,078
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 9.55(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Barrie Carson Turner is a freelance musician who has written songs, musicals, and books.

Sue Williams has won numerous awards for her work. Her illustrations have been featured in exhibition at the Louvre in Paris and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-Glitzy and exciting packaging is what this book has going for it. Turner has written new commentary for Saint-Sa'ns's music, accompanied by a full-length, music-only CD, cleverly designed to fit into a plastic holder. In addition to offering one-page commentaries on the 14 sections of this famous musical work, Turner gives basic education on the orchestra used for the composition and helpful hints on how to listen for the distinctive animal sounds made by certain instruments. The text is serviceable, but the tone is condescending at times. "Do you think the elephant enjoys dancing? Do you think he knows that he can't dance very well?" Finer, more humorous commentary is available on the CD "Classical Zoo" (Telarc, 1997), with Itzhak Perlman as narrator and new poems by Bruce Adolphe, but then, it is only the recording. Practicality and management of the two resources in one are considerations for librarians, but Carnival of the Animals, while not perfect, is one way to get young children to listen to and absorb classical music. Williams's full-page and spot illustrations are colorful and fanciful, adding another dimension to the presentation.-Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

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