Product Description

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

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11897 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 42 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780805061802
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

Customer Reviews

One of the best
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.

Awesome book for children
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!

Simply a delight
This one makes my heart soar: a perfect duo of book and CD to introduce little ones into the world of both. As a "Grammie" I can hold the phone to my granddaughter, age 2 1/2 and play listening games with her while she looks at the book, which I have sent her. Bravo Henry Holt for having come up with this. I'm hoping you have more in store.