The Note Who Faced the Music

by Lindsay Bonilla (Author) Mark Hoffmann (Illustrator)

The Note Who Faced the Music
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Half Note doesn't feel whole. With two beats, she isn't as big and beautiful as Whole Note, or as quick and upbeat as Quarter Note. She worries she'll never measure up! So when the other members of the musical staff are at rest, she picks up like a fast tempo and leaves. But Composer and the staff can't play anything noteworthy without Half Note. Their only hope is to convince Half Note to change her tune and come back. This hilarious, offbeat tale of sheet music in treble will strike a chord with anyone who's felt out of sync, ringing with reassurance that everyone has a part to play when working as a team. At the coda, readers can develop their ear with a glossary of musical terms included.
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$18.99

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--Half Note is feeling underappreciated in this hilarious story about musical notes and the value of everyone. The Half Note notices how wonderful everyone else sounds, but her own beat just isn't enough anymore, so she boards a train to head for the end of the line. Will the composer be able to lure her back? Music lovers and children who have had enough training to be in on the joke will appreciate the puns that abound through the story, and the happy ending is sure to please just about everyone. The exuberant artwork, a mad blend of comic-book style and Saturday morning cartoons, adds to the fun of the story. VERDICT A good choice for libraries needing stories for the music section or for funny books with wordplay.--Debbie Tanner

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Nonstop wordplay and a familiar plot about fitting in bolster this educational music theory text. Though Composer, portrayed with light skin and black hair, is clear that all notes are "important to the musical staff," Half Note doesn’t "feel whole." Seeing itself as insignificant next to Whole Note, which can "fill a whole measure," and "quick and upbeat" Eighth Note, Half Note hops a train for the "end of the line"-the coda. But when Composer tries to conduct a favorite song without Half Note, an "offbeat," "awful" cacophony ensues, and only one note can save the day. Though tongue-in-cheek text doesn’t initially introduce the subject matter behind the puns, Bonilla’s predictable plot gives readers space to gain a rudimentary familiarity with note lengths and music terminology, making it well suited for classroom use alongside instruction. Bold, angularly rendered acrylic and colored pencil images from Hoffmann offer quirky anthropomorphized visualizations of each note. A glossary concludes. Ages 4-8

Copyright 2023 Publisher's Weekly, LLC Used with permission. 

Review quotes




Lindsay Bonilla
Lindsay Bonilla is a professional storyteller and children's book author from North Canton, Ohio. She lives with her husband, two wild and creative kids, and her dog, Blitzen. While earning her Bachelor's degree in theatre and religion at Northwestern University, she fell in love with folktales and world travel. Lindsay has performed interactive theatre, shared stories and taught workshops all over the world.

Keisha Morris is an illustrator living and working in Maryland. She earned her BFA in Illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and mentored with illustrators such as Sean Qualls, Selina Alko and Dan Santat. She is a freelance writer and illustrator for picture books and a member of SCBWI. When she is not drawing, she loves spending time with her wife, daughter, and two crazy cats Elphie and Ollie!
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781645676317
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Page Street Kids
Publication date
March 14, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039140 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
Library of Congress categories
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