With verses by America’s first Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky and illustrations by Mary GrandPré, Camille Saint-Saëns’ 1886 musical composition The Carnival of the Animals is given new life as a way of introducing children to classical music. Published in 2010 by Alfred A. Knopf, this book contains a CD with a fully orchestrated version of Saint-Saëns’ music as well as dramatic readings of the verses by Prelutsky. Though this book is recommended for children ages 5-8, readers of all ages will enjoy listening to the music and reading Prelutsky’s verses, each one written to match the orchestral representations of a lion, elephants, birds, and other creatures in the menagerie. GrandPré’s richly-colored mixed-media illustrations add additional beauty to the text, making it both visually and aurally pleasing. A note to parents and teachers from the head of the music department of New York’s Rudolf Steiner School is also included, helping caretakers to provide “activities worthy of imagination” for children of different ages and cognitive levels. Prelutsky’s humorous verses will have children smiling, and Saint-Saëns’ music will have them on their feet dancing as they explore both music and poetry in this exciting text.
The Mermaid's Tale 