Children’s Books About Music
Get kids excited about music with these wonderful new children’s books! Whether your child will be starting to learn a musical instrument this year or you just want to help them appreciate this beautiful form of expression, you will find a book below sure to spark their interest. They celebrate a wide range of musical styles, representing many different cultures and traditions. They are a wonderful way to introduce your children to different instruments as well as the power that music has to bring people together.
Children’s Books About Music
Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of some of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Enjoy these fantastic children’s books about music!
If your child will be starting to learn a musical instrument soon, they will enjoy this charming new book, which introduces them to 50 different instruments. It includes instruments that are familiar, like the violin, and those that are less common, like the jaw harp. Even better, the book comes with a QR code that lets you access an original piece of music for each instrument. The instruments showcased include those from European classical music and those from other cultures, such are the steel drum. Being from North Carolina, I loved seeing the dulcimer featured as well! Accompanied by fun animal illustrations, this book is a great interactive resource for budding musicians.
Buy Sounds Good!: Discover 50 Instruments on Amazon or Bookshop
Inspired by the famous Italian balcony singing during the pandemic, this heartfelt book celebrates the power of music to unite us across our differences. First one, then another person begins to make music together from their balconies. As each new person joins in, a different instrument and culture is represented. All of these notes are woven together into one sweet song that brings comfort to each in their separate houses, creating a tapestry of sound that remains even after the music fades.
Buy One Sweet Song on Amazon or Bookshop
After reading How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz for our ADM Global Reads for Grownups Book Club, I was delighted to learn that she had now written a picture book! This delightful book follows a little girl who must leave the Dominican Republic for the US at the end of the summer. Before she goes, her beloved grandfather gives her a special musical instrument, passed down from generation to generation. Angélica can’t wait to share the music with everyone back home. But she soon finds that her güira playing is not always appreciated. Drawing from the strength of the long tradition that the güira represents, Angélica tries again and discovers a receptive audience on the streets of her neighborhood, where she finds herself wrapped in the love of all those that came before her.
Buy Angélica and la Güira on Amazon
Buy Angélica y la Güira (Spanish edition) on Amazon
This gorgeous picture book was also inspired by a pandemic story, this time of a chamber quartet in Spain playing in a concert hall filled with plants. Inspired by the image of music and nature, this fable demonstrates the power of these two forces to reconnect us to what is most important. A village is enveloped in a mysterious mist that drives the people into their homes, leaving the village dull and lifeless. A young boy reawakens the once beloved concert hall with his music, and soon he and his father come up with a plan to use a very special symphony to reinvigorate the village’s dying plants – and its people. Created by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, the story reminds us to focus on what is most important, even during the most difficult times.
Buy The Enchanted Symphony on Amazon or Bookshop
This beautifully illustrated book gives an introduction to the orchestra, but not one as you typically imagine it. The instruments are played by diverse musicians, and many of the scenes take place outside of a concert hall. To show the mighty sound of a drum, it is illustrated on a volcano, while the conductor is shown as the captain of a ship. I also love that the book encourages us to discover the music that is all around us, even in the passing of train cars. A great book to get kids excited about getting involved in music, and to see that there is space for them in the orchestra.
Buy A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet on Amazon or Bookshop
This rhythmic, rhyming picture book takes readers on a joyful tour through the Bronx. The colorful book showcases different dances, from cumbia to hip-hop, performed by various community members in a diverse neighborhood. Along the way, the book teaches basic counting and simple phrases in Spanish. It even includes online access to audio and video, so kids can dance and sing along to this musical celebration!
Buy Boogie in the Bronx on Amazon or Bookshop
This adorable book introduces children to New Orleans, a city synonymous with jazz music. The grandparents of a possum family reminisce with their family about their adventures as musicians, though their grandchildren are somewhat skeptical about the fantastical details of their story. When they first arrive in New Orleans (after surviving a hurricane), they meet a back alley cat that introduces them to jazz and helps start them on their new life as a young married couple. A fun introduction to this fabled city and its music, with back matter on jazz and several original and traditional songs. Includes a link to listen to the music and story narration.
Buy Glory Days in New Orleans!: We’re a Possum Family Band on Amazon or Bookshop
In this follow up to Starlet Rivals (The Bollywood Academy #1) 12 year old Simi returns for her second year at the prestigious Bollywood Academy. Her path is clear-cut, at least as far as her parents are concerned: She is destined to follow in their footsteps and become a famous Bollywood actor. Simi goes along with this plan to please her parents, even though her real passion is making music. But her parents don’t take this seriously, and neither does Simi, really, since the industry is dominated by men. Can she find the courage to follow her dream, despite its entrenched gender norms? A great middle grade book for Bollywood fans, or anyone is who passionate about defying expectations to follow their dreams.
Buy Melody Queen (The Bollywood Academy #2) on Amazon or Bookshop
This graphic novel is an in-depth (and totally fun) look at the history of hip-hop, from the context in which it emerged in the Bronx to the fashion it inspired. It breaks down all of its musical elements, such as the writing, the message, and the delivery. Did you know there is a name for the signature phrases or sounds that rappers insert between verses? Fans will love getting the back stories on their favorite artists as well as learning about others that were foundational to the genre but perhaps less widely known today. A wonderfully entertaining read that is also empowering, showcasing how artists emerged from difficult circumstances to make their voices heard on their own terms and in their own style.
Buy Hip-Hop: The Beat of America on Amazon or Bookshop
This joyous graphic novel channels the chaotic energy of the punk rock scene, as it chronicles the difficulties of adjusting to life after high school. Ariel just wants her punk band to finally achieve success, but the band seems to be falling apart, as her best friend deals with her own family issues and Ariel herself wonders whether to head off to college in the fall. Then a chance encounter with a local punk hero offers Ariel the chance to finally make it big – and find romance! Can she figure out how to navigate the budding relationship without alienating her friends? A heartfelt book about finding your way, with a little (or a lot) of help from your friends. It is also a love letter to punk music and to underground scene in Chicago’s Southside. I especially loved the suggested soundtrack given throughout the book! The book also delivers an important lesson about how queer and Black musicians have always driven our popular music, but were rarely given the credit.
Buy Punk Rock Karaoke on Amazon or Bookshop
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