Review by Booklist Review
As the sun sets, an unusual orchestra gathers for a unique performance. If you listen closely, you can hear the flutist contribute the first tentative notes, though in this particular orchestra, the part of the flute is actually the eee-oh-lay of the wood thrush's song. A "cellist"--easily recognizable as a cricket--joins in, followed by a woodpecker's drumbeat on a tree to keep time. Toads act as bagpipe players with a deep trull, trull, a bittern clacks his beaky castanets, and the beaver timpanist slaps his tail as a warning to his kits. As the night wears on, nocturnal musicians contribute their own tones, with screech owls as slide whistles and bugling coyotes on horns. The performance finally draws to a close, but the sunrise holds the promise of a new recital as a robin warms up in the wings. The clever concept of comparing the natural world to an orchestra works beautifully, offering an introduction to both animal communication and a range of musical instruments. Action-packed full-page photos of each animal will hold young readers' attention, and the lively rhyming text is brimming with amusing onomatopoeia to shout aloud. Concluding pages expand more fully on each individual animal and musical instrument referenced along the way, giving older readers plenty to dig into. A pleasing and playful performance with something for everyone to applaud.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--As night falls, wild animals use their bodies to create sounds that together become something like a symphony. This book emphasizes that parallel, using rhyming text and vivid photos of animals to help children connect those sounds with the instruments found in an orchestra. A wood thrush's song is compared to a flute, a cricket is compared to a cello, and a woodpecker is compared to a snare drum. Young readers will be fascinated by the beautiful images of animals; educators and older readers will enjoy the notes in the back matter that provide more specific information about each of the animals, as well as the musical instruments. VERDICT A strong choice for libraries needing unusual perspectives on wildlife or seeking good cross-curricula material.--Debbie Tanner
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Striking photographs and smooth rhymes celebrate the music of the night. In this clever appreciation for the natural world, Silverman compares overnight sounds on a quiet pond to an orchestra's instruments. Deceptively simple verse forms a smooth, easy-to-read-aloud narrative that takes little ones from dusk to dawn. Along the way, the author describes the behaviors and sounds of a bevy of birds and beasts. The sun sets on a quiet pond ("The lighting dims. / The curtain lifts"). A coyote "bugler" howls at the moon. Finally, a robin greets the coming day with its traditional song. From the wood thrush singing "a flutist's airy melody" to the bullfrog's tubalike "jug-a-rum," the animals and instruments presented here are well chosen. Silverman's graceful words mirror the dazzling stock photographs. The drumming woodpecker, referred to as "she," is in fact paired with a photo of a female of the species. Other animals include a cricket, a toad, a bittern, beavers (the kits are "the sand block players," their tail-stamping father is the timpanist), a wood duck, and screech owls. In the afterword, more capable readers can learn about the musicians, the instruments, and how the sounds are made. Whether a bedtime story for the very young or a nature text for early elementary schoolers, this title has broad appeal and utility. Perfectly pitched for its audience. (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
