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40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fresh, charming, artistic approach to counting and music, July 10, 2000
I wish I could give this book 6 stars, because it is a truly wonderful book for preschoolers. One by one, the instruments in a classic orchestra are introduced, combining simple counting with music education. The text is in elegant rhyme, perfectly complemented by the bright, original & whimsical illustrations (make sure you pay attention to the "dance" performed by the cats, dog and mouse). A top-notch addition to a young child's library.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exciting note: An orchestra teaches numbers, April 19, 2000
One musician after another begin to practice their instrument on the stage of the theater until ten musicians are playing their instruments, creating an orchestra of beautiful music that two cats, one mouse and one dog enjoy along with the audience. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin has bright, award-winning illustrations and curved, rhyming text that teaches numbers, musical instruments and musical terms in an exciting way. The background colors of the pages change throughout the book. The vivid colors Moss uses are red, pink, orange, green, and yellow. Since the illustrations do not have any distinction between the floor and wall, when the focus is on one instrument, the other musicians and their instruments seem to float in the background. The appearance of them floating or flying creates excitement and movement in the story. The violinist's movements are described in the text as, "soaring high and moving in." Several of the musicians have curved arms or bodies, which contributes to motion and the playing of music. Also, this book is multicultural in that it includes Caucasians, an African American cellist and an Asian flutist. These all assemble together to form a ten- piece orchestra. Most of the text is printed in a curved or waved pattern and correlates with the curved illustrations and the sense of motion created by the musicians playing the instruments. Words such as "moan," "tone," "oiled," "coiled," "throbbing," "sobbing," and "gliding," "sliding" rhyme, and create a flowing pattern as they are read. These words as well as "sleek," "black," "breezy," "yellow," and "rings" beautifully describe the way musical instruments look and sound. Moss uses alliteration as another stylistic device to generate excitement. He describes the trumpet as, "sings and stings its swinging song." The text that accompanies the flute describes it this way: "sends our soul a-shiver; ...slender, silver sliver." Also the text is a counting sequence which teaches numbers. As each instrument is added to the group, the text counts. For example, "Two, now three-o, what a trio!" Along with the numbers, the musical terms for instruments playing together, such as duo, trio, and quartet, are incorporated as seen in the quote, "what a trio!" The numbers paired with the music terms inform the reader of the number of instruments that compose a quartet, quintet, sextet, and the other groups. Priceman uses beautifully colored illustrations to orchestrate a sense of excitement as the musicians gather together to perform. At the same time, Moss uses stylistic devices of rhyming and alliteration and the use of numbers and musical vocabulary to delight and to teach.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The rhythm of the night, August 8, 2005
Parents are all about infusing their children with a good jolt of "culture" while they're young. "Culture" can mean a lot of different things too. It can refer to theater, art, or even a full appreciation of orchestral performances. Now the standard method of getting kids interested in orchestras can be summed up in four words: Peter and the Wolf. For some people though, Peter just doesn't cut it. They want something a little more basic. A picture book, perhaps, that identifies different instruments in the orchestra in an amusing and (dare I say?) educational manner. Enter "Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin". A proud 1996 Caldecott Honor title, the book is a catchy flouncy bouncy exploration of different orchestral sounds and the people that make them possible.
In a lush orchestral hall, two cats and a mouse sit on an empty stage. Then, a single trombone enters, "With mournful moan and silken tone". He's followed by a trumpet who in turn is followed by a French horn, a cello, a violin, a flute, a clarinet, an oboe, a bassoon, and (finally) a harp. With everyone in place, and the conductor stationed before them, everyone plays together in perfect harmony. "It's the music that we all adore. It's what we go to concerts for". Each separate instrument has its own personality and poem. The oboe sobs and the bassoon makes everyone laugh. Lines like, "With steely keys that softly click / Its breezy notes so darkly slick / A sleek, black, woody clarinet / Is number seven - now septet". As you can see, by reading this book kids learn not only what certain instruments look like, but also what groups of people between the numbers of one to nine (solo to nonet) are called. Illustrator Marjorie Priceman (who has illustrated everything from books by Katie Couric and Jack Prelutsky to my personal favorite, "It's Me, Marva") gives us a nicely multiracial cast to enjoy. She also spots the book with two cats, a mouse, and a dog. Kids will enjoy watching the different situations and scenarios the animals get into as the human players go about their music.
I've a real pet peeve with ostensibly "rhyming" picture books that don't scan or read particularly well out loud. Fortunate then that "Zin! Zin! Zin!", not only scans beautifully but is so well-written that the words perfectly encapsulate with a minimal amount of syllables what we like best about certain instruments. The book really has everything. Bright and colorful gouache illustrations. A fun cast of characters. Catchy words in an informative text. I know that there are a lot of meet-the-orchestra books out there, but how many have won as much praise as "Zin! Zin! Zin!" ? A book that could make even the most adamant preschool-aged philistine into an honest-to-goodness cultural guru.
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