Review — The First Music

Laura D’Amato, Library Media Specialist, Parma City School District, Thoreau Park Elementary, Parma, Ohio
Library Media Connection — 3/1/2007

From the beautiful endpapers to the color palate throughout the book, the sense of place and natural beauty of West Africa come through. Although an original tale, the storytelling flows as though it is a tale told many times. The animals discover that the noises they make on their own can be combined together into wonderful music. As they are enthusiastically making music together, the frogs sit quietly thinking that their bodies are not equipped to make music. However, they discover that they can lend their voices to the music and they do with gusto. Pritchett’s storytelling background is evident in the pacing and drama of this story. The illustrations are done in rich tone and saturation of oil paints, but Banks’ style resembles woodcuts in the use of line and contrast making them a wonderful match to the story. This would make a wonderful read-aloud and is tailor-made for audience participation. The message of community and acceptance, and the importance of everyone’s contribution, comes through without being overbearing. This is a welcome addition with multiple options for classroom use.

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

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