The Story Orchestra: Carnival of the Animals - by Katy Flint (Hardcover)

About the Book

"One day, two brothers discover a magical animal kingdom behind their bookcase. They are greeted by the royal lion with his shaggy mane; ask for directions from an old lonely turtle; take a ride on some lumbering elephants; topple a skeleton of dinosaur bones; and swim among a school of shimmering fish. If only they could take them all home..."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Discover the magical world of Carnival of the Animals in this musical reimagining of this celebrated suite for children - push the button in each breathtaking scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Camille Saint-Saëns' score.

One day, two brothers discover a magical animal kingdom behind their bookcase. They are greeted by the royal lion with his shaggy mane; ask for directions from an old lonely tortoise; take a ride on some lumbering elephants; topple a skeleton of dinosaur bones; and swim among a school of shimmering fish. If only they could take them all home...

The book includes extracts from "The Swan," "Aquarium," "Fossils," and "Finale" (From Disney's Fantasia) along with a totally new story to link the pieces together.

As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the suite's music. At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, with details about his composition of Carnival of the Animals. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera, and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano.

Also available from the Story Orchestra series: The Magic Flute, I Can Play (vol 1), Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Four Seasons in One Day.

Manufacturer's note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.

The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.

Review Quotes

"The Story Orchestra: Carnival of the Animals provides an unforgettable introduction to this well-known piece of classical music."--Emmie Stuart, BookPage

"Unique, wonderfully entertaining, and very highly recommended."--Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Jessica Courtney Tickle​ is an illustrator who graduated from Kingston University in July 2014. Her absolute favorite thing to draw or paint is nature, finding a focus on foliage of any kind as well as children's stories about adventure and exploration. She also has a penchant for drawing theater from music makers to dancers and even singing animals. Jessica is most influenced by vintage picture books, travel posters, and folk art as well as numerous painters and printmakers.Katy Flint is an author, editor, and musician, based in London. She studied violin at the University of Southampton, before moving into children's books. She is the author of the much-loved Story Orchestra series, and has worked on many other non-fiction titles - from human bodies to dinosaurs. She connects with people all around the globe on her Intro to Children's Publishing course. Find her on Instagram: @katy_flint