Monday, February 6, 2017

James McNair- The Marvelous Music Machine: A Story of the Piano

"The Marvelous Music Machine: A Story of the Piano" by Mary Blocksma, illst by Mischa Richter, is a cute, incredibly intricate introduction to how a piano is built and how it functions to the reader. It utilizes smaller, more manageable units to describe various aspects of the piano. 43-thousand pounds? The strength of eleven elephants! Nine feet? It would crash through your ceiling! The consistent use of these units and humor keep the reader engaged and curious through what is basically a tour of 12,000 individual pieces. Additionally, interesting history pieces are added throughout to further prolong the reader's curiosity. Wacky designs for different original keyboards and a world map highlighting where different woods are imported from are two such instances. This wacky, fun, yet incredibly educational introduction to the function and composition of a piano is engaging yet surprisingly detailed in its exploration of the piano with kids in mind.

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