88 Instruments

It's time to take up an instrument, and Barton's young narrator, confronted with 88 options at the music shop, is overwhelmed. "How am I supposed to pick just one?" he asks, as his beaming parents look on. Each instrument, the boy discovers, has a distinctive, superlative quality: the accordion is "the squeeziest," a triangle is "the easiest," a trombone is "the slideyest." Working in ink and watercolor, newcomer Thomas draws a young man so serious and eager that at one point he's tackling four instruments simultaneously--it's clear that no one will need to force him to practice. Ultimately, it's the piano that strikes a chord, even with its 88 keys to master: "I'll just learn it one note at a time," he says. It's a little disappointing that Barton (Mighty Truck) dodges why exactly the piano becomes the perfect choice for his hero, but the book is spot-on in a bigger sense: when music education works, it's because instrument and student feel made for each other. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Aug.)

PreS-Gr 2—A bespectacled boy is given the opportunity to learn an instrument, but when his parents bring him to a music shop, he has trouble choosing among his 88 options. What ensues is a playful exploration of sound and the vast (and cacophonous) world of musical instruments. The boy's overwhelmed parents follow him as he tries out the triangle, trombone, tuba, harp, and drums and everything else in between. Barton's use of superlatives results in a hilarious onomatopoeic romp through the shop: "Do I pick the squeeziest? The wheeziest? The easiest and breeziest? But how about the slideyest...the squonkiest...the blowiest...?" The work's title might give away the child's eventual pick, but readers will have a fun time arriving at his final decision. While at first overwhelmed at having to master the 88 keys of the piano, the boy is determined to learn one note at a time. Thomas's watercolor illustrations accentuate the silly narrative, adding pizzazz and fluidity to the text. The warm browns and yellows evoke a place of comfort—while the narrator is frazzled by his plethora of selections, he's secure in his ability to eventually choose. The illustrator's expressive line emphasizes each of the characters' reactions with humor and gusto. VERDICT A delightful offering for reading aloud, especially during music-themed storytimes.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal