kinderbookswitheverything: Book Week Planning for Symphony of Stories Part 4a : Meet the composers and musicians.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Book Week Planning for Symphony of Stories Part 4a : Meet the composers and musicians.

A composer is a person who creates original music, typically by piecing together melodies, harmonies, rhythms and structural elements. The term originates from Latin, simply meaning "one who puts together". The title is principally used for those who write classical music or film music.

A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs music. They may sing, play musical instruments, or create original songs. Their work often involves hours of rehearsal, studio sessions, and live performances across various settings like orchestras, bands, and solo acts.

To start on this adventure read about classical music in general first, then look at the composers and specific music next. It is possible to learn so much about musicians from reading picture book biographies and there is so many to choose from.

• Listen to the Birds; An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard & Cecilia Varela

Here we learn about some of the pieces of classical music inspired by birds, with descriptions of twenty different works by Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Saint-Saëns amongst others. There is an accompanying CD.

• My First Classical Music Book by Genevieve Helsby

Readers are asked to think about the different places in which we might hear music. Then, each of the major composers and musical instrument families are introduced and brought to life in a vivid and enchanting way.

• Ketzel the Cat Who Composed by Leslie Newman & Amy June Bates

Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. But Moshe didn’t mind. Everything he heard was music to his ears. One day, while out for a walk, he heard a small, sad sound that he’d never heard before. It was a tiny kitten! “Come on, little Ketzel,” Moshe said, “I will take you home and we will make beautiful music together.”

Where to start with composers and their music? I'm not sure. Everybody has their own favourite composers. So everybody has a different idea about who is great. Alphabetically? I have only included those where there are books to support learning about them.

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) German