Book Description

It was a day when Max didn't feel like talking to anyone. He just sat on his front steps and watched the clouds gather in the sky.

A strong breeze shook the tree in front of his house, and Max saw two heavy twigs fall to the ground.

So begins this story of a young boy's introduction to the joys of making music.

Max picks up the sticks and begins tapping out the rhythms of everything he sees and hears around him...the sound of pigeons startled into flight, of rain against the windows, of distant church bells and the rumble of a subway. And then, when a marching band rounds Max's corner, something wonderful happens.

Brian Pinkney's rhythmic text and lively pictures are certain to get many a child's foot tapping, many a youngster drumming. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Max Got Two Fingers
Pinkney returns with a somewhat hackneyed attempt to draw a veil over the real problems facing a child growing up in the inner city with his latest effort - "Max Found Two Sticks". At no point does he elaborate on the fact that Max had to root around in a pile of used needles, empty glue tins and worn rubbers before he found said sticks. Sure, the tap-a-long rhythms are fun, for a while, but that's missing the point somewhat, as 15 minutes beating the bassline to House of Pain's seminal classic - "Jump Around" on the violin case of a sleeping busker does not a happy childhood make. Get with the program - buy your child a real drumkit instead. It'll keep them off the streets.

Wonderfully Rhythmic!
I have used this book for several years in my music classroom. I've used it to introduce percussion family, marching band,self-expression and creative compositions. The story itself is wonderfully done, but the illustrations make the book a treasure. My students ask to read this one during Read Aloud Week.

You can hear the music in this book.
This beautifully illustrated book has a fun story pattern which makes it a great read aloud. Children enjoy predicting what will happen next. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This curious little picture book sets out to accomplish the odd--butsurprisingly worthwhile--task of assembling some classic Rodgers & Hammersteinlyrics into a kid-friendly, sing-along format.

Getting to Know You! samples songs from some of the Broadway duo'sbetter-known musicals (Oklahoma! , Carousel, South Pacific,and The King and I), acting them out with a cast of cute animalsplayfully illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Max's Bath, etc.). You mightneed to hit the video store to recall the tune to a few of these (likeOklahoma!'s "Farmer and the Cowman"), but most of the 16 songs--from "Oh,What a Beautiful Mornin'" to "Some Enchanted Evening"--should be memorableenough to get you singing within the first few words. For the rest, Gettingto Know You! even includes a staple-bound songbook tucked into the backcover, which includes sheet music and complete lyrics for all the songs.

Given that Rodgers & Hammerstein won countless awards for their musicals(including two Pulitzers and armfuls of Tonys, Grammys, Emmys, and Oscars),maybe it's not so surprising that the lyrics adapt well into any format. Ifnothing else, it's hard to argue with any book that can get your kid beltingout, "I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair!" (Ages 4 to 8) --PaulHughes ... Read more

Book Description

Based on the bedtime favorite Hush, Little Baby, this adorable board-book edition takes a trip complete with goonie birds and shooting stars as an alien dad sings his little alien a good-night lullaby. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

My son's favorite
I'm buying my second copy of this book because my 16-month-old son has flipped through it so many times it's fallen apart. This was the first book he really seemed to enjoy, and I like it too. The illustrations seem perfect for little ones, with their bright colors and simple lines, and those nice round aliens.

violence
This is a lovely book, except for one small episode of violence. Nevertheless, you can use this opportunity to teach a lesson. When you read this book to your child, you can stop and explain to them that it is wrong to hit someone.

A Cute Twist on a Classic Song
My 22 month old son really likes this book. I "sing" the story to him and and he enjoys filling in the words he knows. A nice addition to the bookshelf!

Great Illustrations and Fun Text
This is currently my 15 month daughter's favorite book. Because the alien child in the book is not gender specified, we've made it into a daddy-daughter book. Which is especially nice when the Papa gives "her" a toolbelt. This is an especially good book for geeky families like ours.

Hush Little Alien
My 18 month old daughter asks me to read this book over and over again. (Okay, she hits me with it) I sing it to her in the car to calm her. The pictures are very unique, bright and colorful. The only downful is that it is not available in a board book. ... Read more

Book Description

Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony is one of the most popular classical works ever. In this spirited account of the story behind the composition, Joseph Horowitz brings to life the diverse musical and cultural influences that inspired the composer, who came from Czechoslovakia to America in 1892. Listening to his assistant, Henry Burleigh, sing slave songs, and visiting Wild West shows and the Kickapoo Medicine Show gave Dvorak the raw material from which to compose his masterpiece that, to both popular audiences and critics, captures the vibrancy and power of American music. Illustrated with archival black-and-white photos, and including index and source notes for further research, this book brings the dramatic and inspiring story of a musical masterpiece to life for young readers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Brilliant Book for Young Readers!
Joseph Horowitz loves the late 19th and early 20th world of culture. He is simultaneously scholar and activist. His bold, unprecendented project is to take historical moments and richly employ them to introduce the excitement of classical music to young readers. He could have no better scenario than Dvorak in the New World. Here the composer seeks to create an American musical language based on a synthesis of the high symphonic style with elements of Black and Indian music. The characters are vividly drawn and the whole is both beautifully written and wonderfully gauged for young readers. A real treat! ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is an original and exciting look at the fascinating world of sound and music. Superb real-life photographs of instruments ranging from zithers and panpipes to electric guitars and synthesizers offer a unique "eyewitness" view of ancient and contemporary music.See how strings vibrate to make a note sound, how an invisible "column" of air sounds a pipe, which instrument resembles a peacock, how sousaphone players wear their instruments.Learn who invented an important new key system, how to master the bagpipes, why pipe organs have "ears" and "mouths", and why French horns are "doubled up".Discover how a vegetable gourd charms snakes, why tangled fingers led to the invention of the piano, why spiders add a "buzz" to xylophones, where reindeer toe-bones were used as whistles, and much, much more! ... Read more

Book Description

Learning about the body just got more exciting!Young children will discover how their bodies work when they read and sing along with fun and fact-filled songs.How many bones are in each of your feet?What are the five senses? Where is the gluteus maximus?Why do we pass gas?Find out in this engaging book and 12-song CD set with its diverse array of musical styles that promises to get the whole family rocking. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not just for Kids
As a longtime babysitter, and a childhood Raffi junkie, my standards for 'children's music' have always been high. Finally, after 10 years of suffering the popularity of 'Barney' , we have an antidote! This book/CD has music that kids love and I actually ENJOY.The sophistication of the songs, the intelligence of the lyrics, and the up-beat pace all keep me interested.The kids just start to move, almost unwittingly, which allows them get their energy out in a positive way. Definitely a long car ride keeper.

My Bodyworks Rocks
My Bodyworks is amazing. The songs are cool, but the fart song really blew me away! You can learn a lot about your body by singing along and following the words in the book. Even my parents (who don't usually get a kick out of this kind of stuff) loved it. ... Read more

Book Description

You're an angel from heaven, sent down from above,
You're daddy's little boy, to have and to love. . .

The song "Daddy's Little Boy" has been a favorite of fathers and sons -- and mothers, too -- for more than fifty years. In this first ever picture-book version, a caring daddy bear and his little cub bring the moving lyrics to life as they bask in each other's love. The full lyrics and music are included for the whole family to enjoy together.

Book Description

A pig on a passenger liner?
Impossible!
No! No! It's me ...
Maxixe, the music box pig!

Everyone knows the story of the night the great ship Titanic sank. But few know the story of Maxixe, one of the unsung heroes of that night, and how this small musical pig soothed the fears of a lifeboat full of children. Based on true events, this dramatic story by author Gary Crew is told through the charming and compassionate voice of Maxixe, and is brought to life by the stunning artwork of illustrator Bruce Whatley.

Reviews (1)

The life and times of famous composer Antonio Vivaldi
In reading some of the books in this Famous Composers Series it is surprising how many great composer were not considered great in their own lifetime. Antonio Vivaldi was a brilliant violinist and a gifted teacher, but apparently audiences grew bored with his concertos, church music, and opera during his lifetime. Like Mozart he died poor and alone in Vienna. This book by Roland Vernon is quite informative, working in all sorts of details about the times in which Vivaldi lived while chronicling the musician's life. For example, while talking about Vivaldi's childhood in Venice we learn all about the Doge and Patricians of Venice and the city's most impressive church, St. Mark's Basilica. But the focus is on Vivaldi as a musician and how he was a pioneer of the concerto, who explored new ways of composing solo instrumental passages to be placed between sections of orchestral music. However, all this wonderful information sometimes gets lost because these volumes are full of color illustrations. Ian Andrew provides some contemporary artwork to covers the specifics of Vivaldi's biography, but what really stands out are the historic paintings and contemporary photographs that give us a sense of the 18th century Venice in which he wrote and played music. I have seen a lot of books about famous painters that are not as well illustrated as the volumes in the Famous Composers Series. Other titles in this series introduce us to Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Gershwin, Mozart, Stravinsky, and Verdi. As always, it is recommended that young readers being introduced to Vivaldi, or any other composer, should listen to the famous musician's music while reading such a book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ok to listen to but not a very good french tutorial.
Some of the songs are useful, but most do not translate literally which could be a problem if you are trying to learn French. (for example in France apparently you come from Alabama with banjo under your arm). Another song is completely different wording, just sung to the same tune as Twinkle twinkle little star. The book that comes with the tape does tell you that is is different but has no literal translation.

My thought was to play the tape during long car trips with my kids (6 and 3). They don't complain but most of the songs are hard to understand, Especially the songs sung by children. They most certainly haven't learned much French as a result of listening to the tape. A couple of the songs are fun/catchy, one in particular is stuck in my head and I wish it would go away, but all in all I was disappointed.

Teach Me French is an Awesome Learning Tool
I have found, Teach Me French, a Musical Journey Through the Day to be an awesome learning tool because the tape includes songs about the alphabet and the numbers. A lyric book is also enclosed with the English and French words of each song. I have found Teach Me French especially helpful because familiar songs such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "The More We Get Together" are sung in French and English. This cassette and book is great for homes, but also great for schools where students can make their first contact with the French language a positive one. ... Read more

Book Description

Every kid wants to play guitar, and this innovative new instructional method lets them do just that! It's designed for use in the general music classroom, and is developmentally structured to get all beginning guitar students playing and singing from the very first lesson, no matter what their level of experience. Whether you have a small group or a classroom full of students, the Book/CD pak and the video will help you, the music teacher provide a quality musical experience, even if you are a beginner yourself! It's easy to use and before you know it, you'll be helping even young children to play well and build general music skills, one success at a time! For ages 5-10. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Doesn't use standard tuning
I bought this book for children who have some experience on piano and also have other guitar books. This book does not use standard tuning so the chords and other fingering learned are different than normal. Children cannot use this method with any other guitar book or chord reference book. It is good if you want to get very young children to be able to do something. However, it is limited in that you cannot carry the fingering knowledge beyond the book. You would be able to carry the strum patterns beyond this book.

I Love It Too!
It may be a SmartStart for kids, but I love it too. I don't play the guitar so I bought this book to start working with my 6 year old. He thinks it is great but now I'm hooked and finding myself learning to play! I love the CD that comes with the book. I put the kids to bed at night and sneak away with the book and my son's guitar. I didn't stick with lessons when I was a child. Jessica Baron Turner's method is more fun because you are playing traditional(fun to sing) songs right away...day one. The CD helps you tune the guitar and make sure your chords and songs sound correct. You can also rewind and rewind and not feel embarrassed. It's a great bargain for (...) bucks and both my son and I are very happy with it. ... Read more

Book Description

11 songs from the soundtrack of the Disney hit. Includes: Colors of the Wind * If I Never Knew You * Just Around the Riverbend * Listen With Your Heart * Mine, Mine, Mine * Savages, Parts 1 and 2 * Steady as the Beating Drum (and Reprise) * and The Virginia Company (and Reprise). Also features beautiful, full-color artwork. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Definately a good find
I think if you play the panio then this is a great find. Disney's songs are always excellent and Phcohantus is no exception. They are songs you will fall in love with and you will want to practice over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect
I already play very well, and bought this for someone else, but I was amazed at how easily this book builds up thru the steps. I wish this book was available when I was learning!!!!!

How come this book isn't more well known - its fabulous
One of the best guitar tuition books Ive come across. Simple and effective text with some wonderful and interesting music pieces - simply wonderful - and it looks good too.

fabulous
the best tuition manual for electric guitar i have seen in age ... Read more

Book Description

This Level 2 book is appropriate for children who are beginning to read alone.

It was eat or be eaten in the days of the dinosaurs. Step back in time and let them tell you themselves! Longer sentences and an expanded vocabulary make this series of 48-page books slightly more challenging: Level 2 is appropriate for children who have started to read but still need help. Information boxes full of background information will stimulate inquisitive minds. These books contain between 700 and 850 words, and they are approximately 70 percent pictures and 30 percent text.The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for learning to I.D. a few basic Dinos!
My 2 year old LOVES this book!!! We "tone down" the fact that some Dinosaurs eat others, but she loves the realistic pictures, loves hearing the names, and learned to identify and pronounce all the Dinosaurs in this book the second day we had it... this book is fantastic! The ONLY drawback is that now our daughter wants more books just like this, and we've not been able to find anything else quite like it.

Great for kids
I was a big fan of the Eyewitness books when I was a kid, and so I decided to buy this for my Dino loving cousin. He loved it. Just like all the other Eyewitness books it was filled with big interesting pictures, and was understandable for all ages and reading levels. I recomend this to anyone searching for an informational dinosaur book to give to the little ones. Worth every cent. ... Read more

Book Description

Yolanda is a great big girl and strong for her age, bigger and stronger and smarter than anyone else in the fifth grade. She is cool and streetwise, too, and afraid of no one. It's easy for her to watch out for her little, first-grade brother, Andrew. But their mother, a legal professional and a widow, is concerned about crime and drugs in her children's Chicago school. She moves them all to a smaller and, she hopes, smaller town.

Yolanda, at first, is scornful of her new town. And Andrew, who never talks much, is having trouble learning to read. What he loves to do is play on the old harmonica given to him as a baby by his father to teethe on and which he's kept blowing ever since. He can imitate any sound he hears, like bacon sizzling, or express any mood he feels, like the freshness of an early morning. Yolanda understands that that's the way he "talks." She is convinced Andrew is a true genius with a great musical gift. But no one else believes it--not her mother, nor Andrew's teachers, not even wonderful Aunt Tiny in Chicago. Yolanda sets out to open up adult eyes, a task whose strategies will call on far more than her physical toughness. Her plans crystallize on a visit back to Chicago to enjoy the great annual blues festival with Aunt Tiny.

Carol Fenner, whose previous book Randall's Wall has reached a wide audience throughout the country, has created a daring heroine in Yolanda and a warm portrayal of an African-American family in a story that moves with mounting intensity to a dramatic, believable, and a wholly satisfying conclusion. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

I enjoyed hearing about all of the Great Jazz Musicians!
It all started in Chicago after a gun firing in Yolonda's School. Her mother was scared that her two children, Yolonda and Andrew, would get hurt. After that incident she insisted that they move. Andrew was a first grader that didn't know how to read. One day Yolonda, being a genius in her own category, told Andrew he was a musical, harmonica, genius. As she said that she noticed that his Marine Band Harmonica was broken. That made Yolonda wonder why would a genius break his instrument. Would Albert Einstein break his chalkboard? Andrew would not believe that he was a genius. Yolonda had to think of a way to prove it to him and the world!

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I especially liked it because of all of the jazz instruments and artists, such as B.B. King. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to relax while reading.

Musical
Mrs. Fenner's done it again! This story is about an African-American family who leaves the violent Windy City for a quieter town. Yolonda, the daughter, has a hard time fitting in despite her assertiveness. So does Andrew, her LD brother. But Londa sees beyond his lack of book smarts to his musical genius. Can she help him utilize his talents and show people that he is intelligent? The language in this book was beautiful,despite some violence and sex references. Andrew's music is described so wonderfully that you can almost hear it. Like most girls, Yolonda has crushes. Although she and her ironically named Aunt Tiny are large women, their size is celebrated rather than insulted. Aunt Tiny shows that a little(sometimes a lot of) extra poundage keeps a person warm inside. I'm not obese,but I can identify with Yolonda's food addiction. She understands the virtues of chocolate! However,that's not always a good thing. Enough lectures about eating habits, read this book! You're in for a real treat.

OK book
When Yolonda's mother, fearful of drugs and crime, drags Yolonda and her brother, Andrew out of Chicago, Yolonda is teased and starts to feels irritated in the her new town, Grand River. To make life easier, she starts going to the library, where she soon discovers something that is completely astonishing and unexpected. While flipping through the dictionary one day, she finds the word 'genius'. She finds that Andrew fits the description. Determined, she sets forth to convince everyone of her brother's musical talent on his harmonica. In spite of this, no one understands, not even her mother because they think Andrew is stupid, due to his weak reading skills. Then Yolonda's Aunt Tiny comes and whisks them back to Chicago. There they attend the famous Chicago music festivals, and Yolonda comes up with a risky plan to prove that Andrew indeed is a genius. Succeed she does, so Andrew hits the stage and performs for crowds of people. But in the end, he chooses a quiet life with his mother and Yolonda.

I would give this book a four out of ten overall. Carol Fenner came up with a decent story, but I didn't particularly like her style. The story was hard to follow since she switched scenes quite often without making good transitions. Neither was it a very suspenseful or exciting story.

Yolonda's Genius
YolandaÕs Genius is a fantastic and exciting book. In the beginning her family has to move out of their hometown because too many bad things happen. One bad thing that happened was high school kids gave Andrew drugs and the good thing is that Andrew didnÕt take them because he knew better. They moved from Chicago to Michigan. Yolonda doesnÕt really get along with the kids at her new school because they make fun of her because sheÕs different. Her little brother Andrew loves his harmonica that his dad gave him when he was a little baby before the father died. At school Andrew doesnÕt focus in reading and he just kept playing his harmonica. One day Yolonda and Andrew were walking home from school and Yolonda forgets her brother at the park and if you want to know what happen you should read this book.
The reason why I liked this book a lot is because it showed how Yolonda really loved her brother Andrew. And how she cared so much about her family and she watched over Andrew so well. I also liked this book because it had a lot of adventures that Yolonda did and some with her little brother. I think that anybody would love this book and I think you would really enjoy it.

Yolonda Is No Genius
As you try to swin through a see of ... looking for a climax and before you find it its wasted on old, soggy friendships and an ending with no certainty.

They use Aunt Tiny as some superstar really when she only cuts Oprahs hair.

Yolonda is a wannabe, and dont read this book at all costs. ... Read more

Book Description

Titles are: America the Beautiful * Animaniacs * The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle * The Batman Theme * C is for Cookie * Can You Read My Mind * The Chicken Dance * Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead * (Meet) The Flint- stones * Fuzzy Wuzzy * Mighty Morphin Power Rangers * Happy Birthday * High Hopes * I Believe I Can Fly * I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat (I Thought I Saw a Pussy Cat * If I Only Had a Brain * I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony * I'll Be There for You (Theme from Friends). ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Jason Waldron- Progressive classical guitar
Excellent!
In 3 words: Concise, logical, correct!

Waldron's left and right hand positions section is good.
We cannot afford tuition, but have an extensive collection of second-hand Methods: Noad, Shearer, Segovia, and many others, all bought at flea-markets. In short, Jason Waldron's Progressive Classic Guitar Method has the best, that is, most detailed, and easily understandable sections on basic posture, and left and right arm and hand positions and adjustment. The resulting positions are relaxed, natural and efficient. They are systematically presented, clearly stating what to look for and how to adjust the positions. That is why we gladly paid the full purchase price for a new copy of the book plus CD. For the student learning on your own who is keen to get the basics right from the start, I recommend this book.
- a fellow beginner.

Good book
If you are a serious student looking for a comprehensive method book that encompasses all aspects of the classical guitar, then books by Noad, Shearer or Duncan may be more appropriate.

However, if you are looking for a quick start on the guitar, and if you would like to play some interesting pieces relatively quickly, then this book is for you.

I think of it as an appropriate second book that complements the book I use (Noad's Solo Guitar Playing) since its organization (by the different keys as opposed to the positions) makes it a useful complement to that book.

Progressive Classical Guitar Method-Jason Waldron
I have been playing guitar for nearly 40 years, rock & roll, blues and C&W. I would say that my playing was very average. Self taught, etc. I have always loved classical guitar music and in fact, that is what originally brought me to the guitar. Everytime that I considered playing classical music I was stopped by how difficult the music appeared and by the fact that I couldn't sight read music. At the age of 58, I sold my electric guitars, bought a nice Larrivee classical guitar and purchased Jason Waldron's book. I am totally hooked. I am playing much better, I am reading music and I have started to realize a lifelong dream. I wish that there would have been opportunities like this book when I was younger. This book takes you from the very beginning and has you playing early intermediate pieces at the end. I have finished this book and wish that there was a good second volume. Anyone can do this, if you have interest in this type of music, buy this book. It could be the beginning of an entirely new musical interest for you.

What a great introduction to classical guitar!
I took classical guitar from grade 8 to grade 12 because it seemed like a good way of not having to take piano (my parents insisted on me learning to play a musical instrument). From those four years I managed to get four pieces under my belt and kept working on Classical Gas by Mason Williams. I was horrible.

I am now 27 and decided to start learning it again because there is more to life than work. I don't have time for lessons but knew I needed to start from scratch and this book seemed to meet the requirements. I got it in the mail today, tuned the guitar for the first time in ten years after coming home from work and was playing along with the CD (badly) having gone through correct posture and finger position for the right hand. I had a lot of fun. I had to force myself to stop at the recommended half hour mark.

Pull out your guitar from mothballs or go buy one. Jason Waldron delivers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another great book in this series
Author Mike Venezia does a great job explaining biographies to children in a way that is both understandable and interesting. The writing style is not dumbed down or patronizing in tone. This is book is one in a series, others are about other musical composers and artists.

The first few pages explain what the musical climate was like in Mozart's life and explains how people used music for entertainment purposes. This is brief and a very good opening to put Mozart's life in perspective. The rest of the book is a full span of Mozart's life. Unlike other books for children about Mozart, the fact that Mozart was a boy genius is not the main content of the book. Oddly, Mozart's children are never mentioned. Mozart's marriage is briefly mentioned as is Mozart's death.

I have mixed feelings about the illustrations. I appreciated that the illustrations documented the various time periods of Mozart's life. I loved the illustrations that were photographs, fine drawings, or copies of fine paintings of the places Mozart visited, of Mozart and his family, and scenes of his operas. I did not at all like the eight cartoons whose illustrations and accompanying text were sarcastic and silly. These eight cartoons were completely out of character with the text of the book and I didn't appreciate them at all. My children and I have enjoyed other books by this author that did not have dumb cartoons and jokes. My children, aged 4 and 6 haven't needed these silly and sometimes insulting jokes to make the subject matter enjoyable. The interesting biography's text and other illustrations are high quality and are better off without these cartoons. The cartoons downgrade my rating to a 4.

I recommend this book and others by Mike Venezia to teach young children about important people in history.

Mozart's life story told with Venezia's funny cartoons
When I discovered that Mike Venezia was following up his successful Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series with Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers, it was obviously going to be the volume on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart that was going to be the one I would most be interested in reading. In terms of his cartoons illustrating in comic ways some of the key developments in Mozart's life from child prodigy performing with his older sister as their father toured them throughout Europe, Venezia certainly delivers. There are also historic paintings and other illustrations of Mozart from throughout his life. But while this volume is an adequate juvenile biography of the great musician, it is a less than satisfactory musical biography. Granted, this is an inherent disadvantage for the Composers series over the Artists series, given that at least in the latter you could reproduce the greatest paintings of the greatest composers, but Venezia refrains from mentioning specific works by Mozart until the final pages of the book. Given my inherent position that a young reader should read this volume while listening to a decent collection of Mozart's "hits," it would be useful not only if more works were specifically mentioned but if they were more specific than entire operas. The only way to appreciate great music is to listen to it and in all of these volumes telling of great composers from George Handel to George Gershwin I think that Venezia clearly has a great opportunity to direct his readers to some prime examples. This is what Venezia did in his volume in this series on Johann Sebastian Bach and it should be a standard part of every volume in the series. Still, young readers will get a much better sense for Mozart's entire life than they will from watching "Amadeus," but the film will do a better job of getting them to fall in love with his music. ... Read more