Mouse music

Isabel, a mouse, lives with her sister and two brothers in the forest, where they make music together on violins, harp, and piano. When Isabel hears an unfamiliar birdsong, she excitedly urges her siblings to listen, but they disparage the music as inferior to their own. Later, she takes them to hear the rousing beat of marching ants and then a quartet of city mice. Each time, her siblings react negatively. But when Isabel plays her violin with the city mice, her sister and brothers listen more intently. They apologize, expressing their admiration for the music. Berenschot's freewheeling collage illustrations create a lively forest setting. Well structured, the story uses repetition effectively to emphasize the siblings' initial, predictable reactions to new music. Overmeer, who directs the education of music teachers at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, concludes the book with musical activities related to the story. First published in Belgium and the Netherlands, this picture book encourages children to be open-minded when listening to unfamiliar music and, by extension, to be receptive to other cultural differences.

This Dutch and Belgian import explores the communal power of music. Isabel, a whiskered, rosy-hued mouse, plays the violin. Her brothers and sisters also play classical instruments. Whenever they hold concerts, the entire forest stops to listen. Isabel has an adventurous spirit. She likes to roam the forest in search of new sounds. One day, after finding a bird warbling an intriguing tune, Isabel calls her siblings to come and listen. They aren't impressed. "This sounds very different from our music," they sneer. "Our music is much better." The family pooh-poohs each new sound that Isabel finds. Then one day, she happens upon another group of mice. They are teal (from the city, Overmeer is keen to point out), and one plays the guitar. Isabel's family, again, thinks the music sounds strange. Isabel can't take it anymore. "Stop!" she shouts. Her anger and frustration are conveyed by a giant scribbled tornado that swirls across the page. Differences should be celebrated, not ridiculed. And maybe, just maybe, they could make beautiful music together. The resolution is a bit slapdash and pat, but it's positive nonetheless. Berenschot uses ribbons, bubbles, and droplets to represent music, creatively illustrating the sounds that are so very important to Isabel. Backmatter includes musical-education activities that connect back to the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A reminder to stop, listen, and appreciate. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.