Mouse Music

by Suzan Overmeer, Myriam Berenschot (Illustrator)

Overview

"A reminder to stop, listen, and appreciate." - Kirkus Reviews

Isabel the mouse plays the violin and dreams about beautiful sounds. Her siblings are also musicians and they all play music together. Every day, she takes a walk in the forest, searching for sounds she doesn't know yet. During her strolls, she finds different animals and insects who play beautiful tunes, but every time she tells her siblings about it, they look down on the new sounds she discovers. Will an encounter with a newly arrived band show them how to appreciate ‘different’ music? This title includes a few ideas for music education.

A musical plea in favor of open ears, inclusion and diversity for little musicians ages 4 years and up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605376363
Publisher:	Clavis
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 10.20(h) x (d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Suzan Overmeer (1973) works as the head of the education of Music Teacher at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag and creates jazz songs and lessons for kids, through her company Jazz4kids. In 2015 she published Roze Ikke, a poetry book for young children. In 2018 she wrote the musical story Ella, the swinging duck.

Myriam Berenschotis a fulltime illustrator. After her graduation at the art academy, she gave art and drawing lessons to children. Currently, she makes so many illustrations, especially for educational publishers, that she doesn’t have time to teach. Myriam likes to discover new materials and techniques, and what effects they have. Is it sweet or angrier? She also uses the computer and the IPad to create the right atmosphere. Myriam wants to touch her public. And often that is with themes that are very close. Just have a look around ...

Editorial Reviews

"A reminder to stop, listen, and appreciate." - Kirkus Reviews

"Mouse Music was a sweet book that tells the story of Isabel, a curious mouse who loves adventure and music. As she goes on her daily adventures, she encounters different animals and sounds. Excited by these she comes back to her brothers and sisters who are not interested in befriending those who are so different from them. When Isabel and the City Mice come together and collaborate, a beautiful new sound is found and her brothers and sisters realize the beauty in coming together to make a who new thing! I really like the illustrations of this book and think that it would be good for the 4 to 6 year olds in anyone's life!" - Epic Books

"Fun colorful cut out illustrations, which follow a delightful little mouse through the forest to identify different sounds and how the mouse shares them with her siblings." - Bluffton Public Library

"This is a beautiful children’s story about Isabel’s love for music. Isabel’s siblings are not as open to different types of music, but Isabel just can’t get enough. The illustrations are beautiful, and the color is very bright to hold the attention of my children. My 4-year-old daughter loved Isabel’s journey, and there are musical recommendations at the end of the book which my daughter loved doing!" - Williamson County, TN - School System

From the Publisher

2021-04-14
This Dutch and Belgian import explores the communal power of music.

Isabel, a whiskered, rosy-hued mouse, plays the violin. Her brothers and sisters also play classical instruments. Whenever they hold concerts, the entire forest stops to listen. Isabel has an adventurous spirit. She likes to roam the forest in search of new sounds. One day, after finding a bird warbling an intriguing tune, Isabel calls her siblings to come and listen. They aren’t impressed. “This sounds very different from our music,” they sneer. “Our music is much better.” The family pooh-poohs each new sound that Isabel finds. Then one day, she happens upon another group of mice. They are teal (from the city, Overmeer is keen to point out), and one plays the guitar. Isabel’s family, again, thinks the music sounds strange. Isabel can’t take it anymore. “Stop!” she shouts. Her anger and frustration are conveyed by a giant scribbled tornado that swirls across the page. Differences should be celebrated, not ridiculed. And maybe, just maybe, they could make beautiful music together. The resolution is a bit slapdash and pat, but it’s positive nonetheless. Berenschot uses ribbons, bubbles, and droplets to represent music, creatively illustrating the sounds that are so very important to Isabel. Backmatter includes musical-education activities that connect back to the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A reminder to stop, listen, and appreciate. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews