Musical Books for Young Kids
Personal recommendations by Ms. Marilee*
Hi everyone, Ms. Marilee here! When my children were little, we did two things every week: The Music Class and a visit to the library. The library is one of my favorite places to take my kids because it is an easy place to say “YES!” You want to take a Christmas book home in May? Sure, why not. You want to look through a chapter book even though you can’t read? Yep, that’s why it’s there. You want to find a book that has the same characters as your favorite show? Absolutely! Let’s do it. We’ve stumbled on a few wonderful picture books that bring music to life and I wanted to share them with you for your next trip to the library or bookstore. Two of them made me tear up the first time I read them. See if you can guess which!
First up is Because by Mo Willems. Mo Willems is a very well-known children’s author and illustrator but I had no idea that he had written a book about the power of music passed down through generations. My daughter picked it up at the library one day and we fell in love. It is absolutely perfect for sharing with a TMC kid!
If you’re looking for something a little more silly, check out Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow (yes, that John Lithgow!) It takes the imagination of a small child and puts it in a symphony performance full of animals. Storyline Online’s YouTube channel has a wonderful collection of actors reading children’s stories; you can watch John Lithgow reading and singing his story!
For something based on a true story, check out Hosea Played On by Kathleen Blasi. Hosea Taylor Jr. was well known in the Rochester, NY area for playing his saxophone at the weekend market and sharing his talent with the children around him. The illustrations by Shane Evans are just as beautiful as the story of Hosea.
Lastly, is a book written by a professional musician! Wynton Marsalis is a world-renowned trumpet player (his brother Branford is a saxophonist.) He wrote Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure. In it, we notice all the sounds and music around us that we might miss if we weren’t paying attention. Check out Wyton’s performance on Sesame Street which brings exactly that idea to life!
(And two more Wynton on Sesame Street examples HERE and HERE!)
*The Music Class is not sponsored and does not receive any commission from the purchase of these books. These are simply personal recommendations from Ms. Marilee that we think TMC families might enjoy! We’re continuing the conversation on Instagram and Facebook and would love to know what musical books your family loves!