Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (Caldecott Honor Book, 1996, No 2)

Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this one!
Review: A marvelous read-aloud! Beautifully unique illustrations and an outrageously well written text make this an irresistible book for the whole family to enjoy. On top of its entertainment value, readers are painlessly introduced to the instruments found in a chamber group, and counting skills are encouraged. Can't say enough about this gem.

If, in addition to the pleasure of sharing good books, you're looking to build on teachable moments, (1) consider playing classical music before, during, or after your read-aloud session; and/or, (2) for older readers, try following up on Zin! Zin! Zin! with A Young Person's Guide to Music, which includes a companion cd.

Rating:
Summary: Obviously, this is a minority opinion
Review: As the 20-plus reviews thus far have ALL been five stars! So, take what I say with a grain of salt...

and even I actually mostly like this book (though I know at least one person who actually dislikes the book and won't read it anymore -- she finds the art ugly and the text strained -- but I'm married to her, she can write her own review).

I don't particularly notice the art, I'm usually half-asleep when reading this book to my 4-year-old in bed. But the text does sometimes jar me -- my teeth practically break when I get to the lines that rhyme CELL-o with hell-O (clearly one is supposed to pronounce it HELL-o here, but I can't make myself do it) -- on the other hand, some of it's really quite nice: "with steely keys that softly click//its breezy notes so darkly slick,..." (that ought to give you a sense of it -- if you say that aloud and think "ooh, I like the way those words fit together", and you want to say them to your child, then get this book. If you think "a clarinet's notes are breezy? or slick?"
or you worry about the rhyme of clarinet and septet, then maybe it isn't for you.)

Still, I like the nice twist on counting books, with 1,2,3,
becoming solo, duo, trio, etc. -- and the mouse-cats-dog subplot in the pictures is cute, too.

Rating:
Summary: Emergent readers' gem!
Review: Being a cello player myself, I believe all children should be exposed to music as soon as possible. This is a great introduction to music, orchestras, and the sounds the instruments make. It's great for emergent readers because of the rhyming and the way the words seem to flow from page to page. The illustrations are beautiful and whimsical. I really like the way the author uses pretty advanced descriptive words for the sounds the instruments make, like 'mournful moan' for the trombone and 'the reeds implore'.

Students will also learn basic information about musical groups, such as what they're called, octet, quintet, etc. A great part of this book is that the musical terminology is not reduced to children's levels. The words are quite large and reflect what is really true about classical musical instruments and musical groups. I think children would enjoy seeing the illustrations and learning about these instruments, and perhaps picking their favorite one. It plants an early seed in their head about orchestral groups, makes music fun, and perhaps creates a new generation of orchestral students.

Rating:
Summary: ENCHANTING
Review: I first came across this book in one of my university classes (Music for the Child)and fell in love with it immediately. It is now is my son's (age 2 1/2) favorite book. Even my husband loves it. We can all recite it by heart. It's a great way to introduce musical instruments to young children. My son recently saw a harp in person for the first time and recognized it right away because of this story. The prose, the illustrations - all are wonderful!!! A must for any child's library!

Rating:
Summary: Fresh, charming, artistic approach to counting and music
Review: I wish I could give this book 6 stars, because it is a truly wonderful book for preschoolers. One by one, the instruments in a classic orchestra are introduced, combining simple counting with music education. The text is in elegant rhyme, perfectly complemented by the bright, original & whimsical illustrations (make sure you pay attention to the "dance" performed by the cats, dog and mouse). A top-notch addition to a young child's library.

Rating:
Summary: An exciting note: An orchestra teaches numbers
Review: One musician after another begin to practice their instrument on the stage of the theater until ten musicians are playing their instruments, creating an orchestra of beautiful music that two cats, one mouse and one dog enjoy along with the audience. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin has bright, award-winning illustrations and curved, rhyming text that teaches numbers, musical instruments and musical terms in an exciting way. The background colors of the pages change throughout the book. The vivid colors Moss uses are red, pink, orange, green, and yellow. Since the illustrations do not have any distinction between the floor and wall, when the focus is on one instrument, the other musicians and their instruments seem to float in the background. The appearance of them floating or flying creates excitement and movement in the story. The violinist's movements are described in the text as, "soaring high and moving in." Several of the musicians have curved arms or bodies, which contributes to motion and the playing of music. Also, this book is multicultural in that it includes Caucasians, an African American cellist and an Asian flutist. These all assemble together to form a ten- piece orchestra. Most of the text is printed in a curved or waved pattern and correlates with the curved illustrations and the sense of motion created by the musicians playing the instruments. Words such as "moan," "tone," "oiled," "coiled," "throbbing," "sobbing," and "gliding," "sliding" rhyme, and create a flowing pattern as they are read. These words as well as "sleek," "black," "breezy," "yellow," and "rings" beautifully describe the way musical instruments look and sound. Moss uses alliteration as another stylistic device to generate excitement. He describes the trumpet as, "sings and stings its swinging song." The text that accompanies the flute describes it this way: "sends our soul a-shiver; ...slender, silver sliver." Also the text is a counting sequence which teaches numbers. As each instrument is added to the group, the text counts. For example, "Two, now three-o, what a trio!" Along with the numbers, the musical terms for instruments playing together, such as duo, trio, and quartet, are incorporated as seen in the quote, "what a trio!" The numbers paired with the music terms inform the reader of the number of instruments that compose a quartet, quintet, sextet, and the other groups. Priceman uses beautifully colored illustrations to orchestrate a sense of excitement as the musicians gather together to perform. At the same time, Moss uses stylistic devices of rhyming and alliteration and the use of numbers and musical vocabulary to delight and to teach.