Review — The First Music

By Julie Cummins
Booklist — 12/1/2006

Fresh and intriguing, this African cumulative tale of the origin of music unfolds in a vibrant storyteller's voice. The forest has many sounds:hyenas yelp, buffalos groan, monkeys chitter, and crocodiles snort. Only the frogs are silent. When an elephant stubs its foot on a hollow log, it begins beating the log with its foot. As the animals listen to the rhythm, they join in: "Crane's claws tinkled over the scales on Crocodile's back." For six days the animals (except the frogs) dance, play, and sway, and on the seventh day, when everyone else is quiet, the frogs sing "Reep-reep-ree!" The message (everyone has something to add in the mix) is subtle, but clear enough for children to understand. However, it's the stylized, earth-toned illustrations, resembling carved wooden figures, that really rock and roll, evoking the synergy of the forest animals. Varied type colors and sizes add visual vibration to a tale ripe for audience participation.

Title Details: The First Music
Author: Dylan Pritchett  
Illustrator: Erin Bennett Banks
Interest Level: GR PreK-3

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