musical instruments

The Girl Who Heard the Music: How One Pianist and 85,000 Bottles of Cans Brought New Hope to an Island

The amazing true story of Mahani Teave, an award-winning pianist and environmental activist. After becoming an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, with tours around the world, Mahani never forgot the tiny island where she grew up, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, and one of the most remote. Aware of the islands environmental struggles and sustainability issues with pollution from tourism, Mahani was inspired to help save its environment and culture by creating a music school. The school was built using thousands of bottles, cans and tires in its walls, incorporating rain barrels, solar panels, and a food garden. Not only does Mahani help build a sustainable future for Rapa Nui, she also ensures the music will play on.

The Girl Who Heard the Music is the WOW Recommends book for October 2023.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

The Piano

What do you do when a piano shows up in your yard? Take a cat-nap? Use it as a coffee table? What’s a band to do when one of its instruments goes missing? And what does a yellow sock have to do with anything? Join Filippa and friends in a whacky adventure when they wake up to find a piano in the front yard.

Trombone Shorty

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six.

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

In this beautifully written picture book, Hana Hashimoto has signed up to play her violin at her school’s talent show. The trouble is, she’s only a beginner, and she’s had only three lessons. Her brothers insist she isn’t good enough. “It’s a talent show, Hana,” they tell her. “You’ll be a disaster!” Hana remembers how wonderfully her talented grandfather, or Ojiichan, played his violin when she was visiting him in Japan. So, just like Ojiichan, Hana practices every day. She is determined to play her best. When Hana’s confidence wavers on the night of the show, however, she begins to wonder if her brothers were right.

Join the discussion of Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin as well as other books sharing “What/who empowers young children in their lives?” on our My Take/Your Take page.

The True Adventures Of Nicolo Zen

“Orphan Nicolo Zen is all alone in 1700s Venice, save for his clarinet, enchanted by a mysterious magician to allow its first player to perform expertly. Soon Nicolo is a famous virtuoso, wealthy beyond his dreams, but he can’t stop wondering if he earned the success — or the girl he met in Venice is safe from the harm”–

Music Everywhere!

Photographs from around the world celebrate the universal joy that kids get from making music, whether they’re playing instruments, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, or singing.

Summoning The Phoenix

Every musician knows that learning to play an instrument has its challenges and its rewards. There’s the embarrassing first day of rehearsal, but also the joy of making friends in the orchestra. There’s dealing with a slippery concert dress or simply getting swept up in the music. The twelve children in this book are just like any other musicians practicing their instruments and preparing for a concert. But what sets these music lovers apart is that they all play traditional Chinese musical instruments in a Chinese orchestra.

Cada Niño/Every Child

In “Cada Nino / Every Child, “acclaimed singer/songwriter Tish Hinojosa presents eleven bilingual songs especially for children. Some are playful toe-tappers like “The Barnyard Dance / El Baile Vegetal” where all the peas and greens and cabbage and beans shimmy in the pale moonlight; some are ballads, telling stories about the Mexican Revolution; while some are lullabies, sweet and dreamy, or celebrations of a grandmother’s love. But all of the songs will teach children about the rich mixture of Latino and American culture and tradition that is spreading out from the border across the United States. Every song is presented in both Spanish and English. Lyrics, music and guitar chords will help kids, parents and teachers to sing and play these wonderful songs themselves. Tish Hinojosa grew up in San Antonio in a house full of music. Moving with equal grace through folk, country, pop and Hispanic idioms, Tish’s music is known for dissolving the boundaries between cultures, languages and musical genres. Her CD “Cado Nino /Every Child “garnered a Parent’s Choice Gold Award and an award from the National Association of Parenting Publications. Hinojosa’s music has been widely praised in the national press and she has appeared on “Austin City Limits, Good Morning America, ” and at the White House for former President and Mrs. Clinton. Tish lives in Austin, Texas. Lucia Angela Perez illustrated her first book, “Little Gold Star/ Estrellita de Oro, “with her mother, Gloria Osuna Perez. The book and the poignant story of this mother and daughter was featured on National Public Radio. “Little Gold Star “was chosen by Nick Jr. Magazine as one of the 30 best books of the year 2000. “Cada Nino / Every Child “is Lucia Angela Perez’ second book. Lucia lives in Fort Worth, Texas.