During Book Week we will have a two hour period between Recess and Lunch where each class in the school will get to experience the joy of four books and four different teachers reading. Each teacher is responsible for choosing a book and planning a brief follow-up activity. All teachers whether classroom teachers, specialists or executive will do this. Some teachers will have a book in mind. Others may need some suggestions, so I have been putting together a box of books for them to browse through for ideas. There will be mystery readers also dropping in to classrooms during Book Week and I will need some picture books for this as well.I have tried to choose stories that connect to music in some way. Many of the books in the box are older and Australian, so they may be in your library. they may be in your library.
Have you ever stopped to think about all the different kinds of music that make you, you? There are happy tunes and slow beats, a marching stomp and a sleepy swoon. Maybe, some days, you can’t find your rhythm and you feel all out of sorts, and then on other days your music will come together and you’ll march to the beat of your own drum. All this music and more is celebrated here.
A beautiful and whimsical tale of the music that is everywhere. A multi-layered text which cleverly explores the abstract concept of music for young children. The Flying Orchestra discusses the idea that music is all around us, telling the story of our lives.
• Stephen's Music by Anna Pignataro
Unexpected things happen when Stephen hears the music of the flute; the football field turns into a forest, the classroom becomes a river and his desk is a boat. He yearns to play a flute of his own, but flutes are expensive so his parents buy him a recorder instead. Gradually Stephen learns to play beautiful music which enters him into a magical world.
• The Music Tree by Catriona Hoy & Adele Jaunn
• I am the Music Man by Debra Potter
• The Bush Concert by Helga Visser
• Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow 
• Music is in Everything by Ziggy Marley Readers are encouraged to find the music in everything in this picture-book adaptation of Marley's exuberant song . . . The illustration of the family's large and small clapping hands in a spectrum of skin tones sends a powerful, uplifting message about the universality of music . . .
• Marching Band by Kael Tudor & Kate Hindley
• The Big-Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band by Giles Andreae & Nick East
• Here Comes Frankie by Tim Hopgood
• I am Nefertiti by Annemarie Anang
• The Pear Violin by Bingo & Gumi A small squirrel finds a large yellow pear and decides to make a violin from one half of it. When he plays his pear violin, beautiful music fills the forest and all the animals stop what they are doing to follow the magical sound. One day, the squirrel drops a pear seed and then, up grows a huge pear tree filled with pears of all different sizes. He shares them with the animals who join together to play music in a moonlight concert.
• Piano Piano by Davide Cali & Eric Heliot
• Tanka Tanka Skunk! by Steve Webb
• Tubby the Tuba by Paul Tripp & Henry Cole
• Jack's Worry by Sam Zuppardi
• Playing by Heart by Peter H. Reynolds
• Patrick by Quentin Blake
• The Boy Who Said Wow by Todd Boss
• Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart
• Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon
• The Paper Piano by Rachel Ip & Natelle Quek
• One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal & Sonia Sanchez
• Mr Mornington's Favourite Things by Karen George
Liam's mother hangs a saucepan lid to a tree in the backyard so that he can hit as hard as he wants without breaking anything. Liam loves his new music tree so much that his mother hangs a kettle, egg beater and pipes on his tree as well. Then one night the music tree begins to make its own noise...
Anyone can be the Music Man in this joyful adaptation of the classic nursery song, and everyone can join in making music together! All children love this traditional rhyme.
There has been a terrible drought and the birds put on a gala concert to cheer themselves up. There is singing and dancing and magic tricks, but the final performance is the perfect end to a wonderful bush concert.
A concert gets out of hand when the animals at the neighbouring zoo storm the stage and play the instruments themselves in this hilarious picture book based on one of John Lithgow's best-loved tunes. This package includes a CD of John and an orchestra performing the song!
Get ready to stomp your feet and march along in time with the band and have lots of adventures and laughs along the way!
When a music-loving dog meets a fox with a fiddle, they decide to start a Boogie-Woogie Animal Band! Before long, the pair are joined by a lion with a lute, a tiger with a tuba, and a piano-playing penguin. As more friends join them, the band keeps getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER!
• Here Comes Frankie by Tim Hopgood
When Frankie decides to learn the trumpet, everything begins to change. Not only can Frankie hear the sounds he makes - he can see and smell them too! And the more he plays, the more infectious his music becomes... A warm and uplifting story about family, noise and colour.
When Nefertiti plays the drums, the band plays as one. 'I am Nefertiti' she says, and she feels ten feet tall. But when the new music teacher shortens her name to 'Nef', bit by bit, she starts to shrink. Without Nefertiti to keep the beat, the band is in disarray...'I am Nefertiti!' she whispers to herself. Drawing on her inner strength and with the support of the other children, they help Miss Potts recognise the importance of honouring Nefertiti's name.
In this funny and entertaining picture book about finding your passion, young Marcolino doesn't want to practise the piano. 'When I was your age, I played for hours,' Mum insists, but Grandfather remembers things rather differently. He helps Marcolino find the musical instrument that's right for him - and it's a real surprise!
Meet Tanka, the elephant and his friend Skunka. Say their names together and they SOUND LIKE DRUMS! Tanka, Skunka, Tanka, Skunka, Tanka Tanka Skunk! They have lots of friends for you to meet, so say their names to the Tanka Skunka beat! Lemurs, llamas, zebras, badgers, caterpillars, big gorillas and yakety, yakety yaks. The book takes the reader on a veritable roller-coaster ride of sights and sounds as animals leap and dance across the brightly coloured pages.
For sixty years audiences have been charmed by the adventures of a tuba named Tubby. All day long, Tubby plays oompah, oompah with his orchestra, but what he really wants is to "dance with the pretty little tune."
these classic characters have been reimagined by Henry Cole.
Jack loves playing the trumpet and for weeks he’s been looking forward to taking part in his first concert. But on the morning of the big day, Jack finds that he has a Worry...
• Playing by Heart by Peter H. Reynolds
When a young boy begins to play on his family’s piano, reveling in the fun of plunking the keys, his father signs him up for lessons so that he can learn to play properly. With his father’s encouragement, Raj learns notes, then scales, then songs, and finally classical pieces that his father can recognise and be proud of.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Patrick! For when he plays his violin, the most extraordinary things start to happen- fish can fly, and cows can dance and trees grow cakes instead of apples. There's fireworks and fun and colours everywhere, when Patrick performs his magical tunes...
Inspired by the beautiful true story of a nonverbal boy moved to speech at his first Mozart concert. When the performance is over and the beautiful music fades out at last, Ronan opens his mouth…and lets out a great big WOW!
Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie have been thrown out of town because of their loud HOOTING and now they're on the road in search of adventure. And what could be more adventurous than a deep, dark forest, a sleeping beauty and a tap-dancing dragon? Join the travelling band!
This is a story about friendship, life in the big city, and following your dreams. It's a tale of hotdogs and music and the summertime subway breeze. It's a tale of singing on rooftops and toffees that stick to your teeth.
When Noah hears beautiful piano music sweeping through the station, he longs to play. Without a piano of his own, he carefully crafts one out of paper, and the notes fill his head night and day.
In a quiet neighborhood, a single note trills through the air. Another note joins, and then another. One by one, curious people are drawn to their windows, doorways, and balconies to support the medley. Professional musicians play instruments from around the world, while others bang pots and pans. All are welcome as the notes swirl and dip and crescendo, coming together to make one sweet song.
A little girl lives next door to Mr Mornington, who has played saxophone all over the world. These days, he's a bit tired of all that travelling, so now he plays it just for her. Together, they have a favourite song: one that conjures up memories of all their favourite things. But when Mr Mornington moves into a care home, his young friend wonders if he'll be able to remember her or any of his favourite things at all... perhaps there's something she can do to help?
