The Composer is Dead
Written by Lemony Snicket
Music by Nathaniel Stookey
Illustrations by Carson Ellis
HarperCollinsPublishers, 2008. Picture book.
Any fans of geeky orchestra stereotypes will love Snicket's picture book mystery. The book starts with a look at a dead composer–a "decomposer" if you will. The handsome and intelligent inspector must question all of the instruments to determine who killed the composer without getting thrown off by their clever replies. In the end, we find we're all a little responsible, but in a good way.
This is a great book to get kids interested in orchestral music. It even includes an audio recording of Snicket reading with musical accompaniment provided by the San Francisco Symphony. I LOVED listening to the CD. The music is great and Snicket brings the words alive.
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