Music Is . . .

“Bright, colorful illustrations and short, catchy rhymes… in an accessible, knowledgeable format [that] is a solid success.” —School Library Journal
“From classical to pop, an exploration of ten Western musical genres…The child audience of readers, listeners, and players will find this a rich resource to explore.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Caldecott Honor winner and two-time New York Times best illustrator of the year author and illustrator Stephen T. Johnson’s lyrical journey of sounds, styles, and rhythms culminate in this highly imaginative and beautifully orchestrated celebration of music.

Experience ten different types of music—classical, Latin, jazz, country, heavy metal, hip-hop, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, electronica, pop, and a surprise finale. Unfolding through an inventive accordion form is a masterful concert of playfully crafted singsong text in harmony with delightfully whimsical art. On the reverse side is a rich, in-depth glossary for each genre, sure to be a wonderful resource for all ages.

Stephen T. Johnson is well known for his innovate children’s books and glorious public artwork and his dynamic performance in (with) Music is… will leave you wanting an encore!

Stephen T. Johnson is the creator of such well-known children’s books as My Little Red Toolbox, My Little Blue Robot, and Alphabet City, recipient of a Caldecott Honor, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. His artwork can be found in permanent and public collections including the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the DeKalb Avenue Subway Station in Brooklyn, New York. Stephen is a professor at the University of Kansas, and he lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

Classical, Latin, jazz, country, heavy metal, hip-hop, rock ’n’ roll, rhythm and blues, and electronic are the genres amateur musician and award-winning illustrator Johnson has chosen to present. This unusually formatted book has a concertina binding, with one long piece of cardstock folded accordion style. It reads from the front like a picture book. Each spread presents a single genre in both words and pictures. Improvisation is a feature of many musical styles, the writer tells us. It’s also a good word for the poetic text, the scatlike syllables that convey the sounds, and the colors, shapes, and images on the pages. Even the simple text has a sonic verve, with its varied typography. Johnson’s descriptions work: Country is “poignant stories”; heavy metal is “roughened steel blazing a trail of light”; electronica is “liquid sound cascading over an endless sea.” Reading on the reverse side, each spread includes a couple of paragraphs offering extended description and history, a list of the usual instruments, six examples of pieces with their composers or performers, and a quote from someone in that musical world. Adult readers knowledgeable about one genre or another might argue about the choices, but the child audience of readers, listeners, and players will find this a rich resource to explore.

Appealing and informative for a broad range. (author’s note, acknowledgments, bibliography)  -Kirkus Reviews, STARRED / December 15, 2020