This is one of my favorite books. (Well...I guess most of the books I review here will qualify for that description...) I love the rhyme and meter--it flows so nicely, like music, which fits so well with the subject matter. It starts out very rhythmically and plodding, speeds up in tempo, crescendos, and then slows down for the finish just as if readers were really attending a concert. The illustrations are colorful and interesting, so parents and older children have something else to engage their attention after the words have been committed to memory. There is even a charming sub-plot tucked away in every illustration as you observe the shenanigans of two cats, a dog, and a mouse. My daughter would get very excited to find the cat on each page. This book introduces different instruments by providing a name, image, and personality for each. The personality part I found especially ingenious. It seems a good way to help young children work this new information about instruments into existing schema with references to clowns, angels, and other things likely to be encountered in childhood. All these elements together result in a very nice final package--well crafted text, engaging illustrations, and a little extra mental stimulation for both parent and child. Highly recommended.
