Historia de la música para niños. (Music History for Children)
Reviewed by Liliana Barro Zecker, School of Education, DePaul Univ., Chicago -- Críticas, 5/15/2008
Heumann, Monika & Hans-Günter Heumann.
tr. by Luis Gago. illus. by Andreas Schürmann. Spain: Siruela (Las tres edades), dist. by Anaya. 2007. 181p. index. toc. ISBN 978-84-9841-138-6. $41.95.
Gr 3+–This encyclopedic volume summarizes the history of music from its ancient origins to the 20th century. In each chapter, friends Clara and Federico travel via a time machine to a particular era, learning about the life and music of that period. Whether they visit the Middle Ages or the Baroque years, their adventures allow them to come in touch with rare musical instruments, meet famous composers, and learn the traits of the music that characterized that period. Following each fantastic journey, an informational section provides the main composers’ biographical sketches (e.g., Schubert, Verdi, Gershwin), diagrams to show, for instance, how the symphonic orchestra was organized during the Classical period), and summary boxes highlighting relevant facts and names of the period (such as, the styles of jazz or rock). Each section ends with a short multiple-choice quiz. Engaging, cartoonish watercolor-and-ink artwork illustrates the fictionalized narratives, while numerous photos portraying composers, instruments, opera houses, and performances or concerts support the nonfiction sections. The compelling illustrations, accessible text, and well-organized table of contents and index make this volume friendly to young researchers. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.
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