Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids [Hardcover]

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

Book Description

Series: Classical Music for Kids | Publication Date: April 21, 1999

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 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 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805061800
• ISBN-13: 978-0805061802
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Books on Cassette > Children's Books

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good classical music book w/CD for youngsters, April 29, 2003

By 

NK "NK" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids (Hardcover)

Completely enjoyed by our 2 year old and his parents. Pictures are absolutely beautiful. Having the CD is useful. Each of the 14 tracks has a beautifully illustrated 2 page spread, which makes it easy to follow the music - the book and music work very well together. The text, which is written in a perfectly simple and direct and short manner so as to render it very useful, helps the listener focus on different aspects of the music and appreciate the music by putting it in terms we could understand more easily (e.g. for the Lion's March - "the strings are playing the lion's marching tune as he walks...Sometimes he roars loudly. Can you hear the pianos playing the lion's roar?") Our toddler loves classical music but this is a great choice for any child or adult. The entire package - the CD, the format of the book, the pictures and the text - really make this a great way of experiencing the music and just a plain good old story.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, June 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books I have seen on Saint Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. The pictures are bright and colourful, descriptions of the instruments very clear and the explanation of the correlation between the instruments and the animals very easy and fun to follow. It is an extra bonus to have the CD included and each animal track numbered. I would highly recommend this to any elementary teacher, even with little or no of music experience.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book for children, September 30, 2005

By 

Octavia Holland "Bookworm" (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids (Hardcover)

This is a great book for children. I am a teacher and I always loved CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS. I wanted a way to teach this piece to my students while also teaching the instruments of the orchestra. This book has allowed me to do this. It's just great. Previously, I had bought another CD and it just didn't do what I needed while this hit every point. The pictures are vivid and the writing is very clear. I'm not only going to use this for my lower grades. Get this one!