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""Reframes the idea of what music might be."" - Kirkus Reviews Toby dreams of singing along with the blackbirds. But when his dream finally comes true, everyone runs away. That’s how awful his singing sounds! Toby flees into the forest, because he’ll never be able to make beautiful music . . . right? A cheerful book about discovering unexpected talents when you think you don’t have any. For musical stompers ages 5 years and up.

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9781605379913

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A young rabbit longs to sing. Toby, a brown puffball with ears sticking straight up to a triangular point, hears the blackbirds singing every night and wishes that he could join them. But his mother admonishes him: “Silly boy,” she tells him. “Rabbits can’t sing.” Still, Toby is determined, and his friend Tim, a bushy-tailed squirrel, encourages him to follow his dream. Unfortunately, when Toby opens his mouth, a horrible screeching sound comes out instead of a beautiful melody. Embarrassed, Toby runs into the woods. He cries and stomps his feet in anger. But, in a moment of transformation, those staccato noises turn out to be music of their own. Ambient nature sounds—the tap of a woodpecker’s beak, a deer banging his antlers against a tree—combine to create a grand woodland concerto. Thrumming with onomatopoeias, the sounds swirl between hues of greens and yellows that brighten the forest setting. Originally published in Dutch, this tale is a bit wordy, but love and respect for music—and how it can be expressed in unexpected ways—shine through. Appended “Rabbit Tips for Making Music” encourage readers to stomp, tap, clap, and make other sounds to fill the room.  Reframes the idea of what music might be. (Picture book. 4-7) - Kirkus Reviews

"A young rabbit longs to sing. Toby, a brown puffball with ears sticking straight up to a triangular point, hears the blackbirds singing every night and wishes that he could join them. But his mother admonishes him: ""Silly boy,"" she tells him. ""Rabbits can't sing."" Still, Toby is determined, and his friend Tim, a bushy-tailed squirrel, encourages him to follow his dream. Unfortunately, when Toby opens his mouth, a horrible screeching sound comes out instead of a beautiful melody. Embarrassed, Toby runs into the woods. He cries and stomps his feet in anger. But, in a moment of transformation, those staccato noises turn out to be music of their own. Ambient nature sounds--the tap of a woodpecker's beak, a deer banging his antlers against a tree--combine to create a grand woodland concerto. Thrumming with onomatopoeias, the sounds swirl between hues of greens and yellows that brighten the forest setting. Originally published in Dutch, this tale is a bit wordy, but love and respect for music--and how it can be expressed in unexpected ways--shine through. Appended ""Rabbit Tips for Making Music"" encourage readers to stomp, tap, clap, and make other sounds to fill the room. Reframes the idea of what music might be. (Picture book. 4-7) - Kirkus Reviews"

Author Information

Suzan Overmeer is a Dutch music teacher and founder of the Jazz4kids foundation, which aims to introduce children to jazz music. She also performs with the Jazz4kids band in concerts at schools and theaters throughout the Netherlands. When not teaching kids about jazz, Suzan teaches college students as the head of Music Education at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 2015 she published her first children’s book, I’m Pink, a poetry book for young children. Suzan lives with her husband and two children in a small village near The Hague. After receiving a teaching degree at Minerva Art Academy in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, Myriam Berenschot spent time teaching art and drawing to children. Now she’s so busy creating illustrations for children’s books and educational materials, that she doesn’t have time to teach. In her drawings and photography she likes to take a closer look at everyday things. Myriam still lives in Groningen with her husband and two daughters.

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