Sounds Good!
Hans Könnecke and Ole Könnecke
Gecko Press

Over fifty musical instruments including the voice and computer are introduced in this book originally published in German and here translated by Melody Shaw.. Each one is allocated a double spread whereon there’s an amusing illustration of an animal instrumentalist, the instrument is briefly described and there are additional details sometimes on its origin, sometimes about how it’s played. Many of those featured – the guitar, violin, recorder, piano, triangle, castanets,

drums – will be familiar to young children and I suspect they will be fascinated with some of the others – pan pipes, accordion, concertina, and the sheer size of the organ, for instance.

Young readers may also be surprised by the inclusion of the computer and four different types of human voice.
Each spread also includes a QR code which, when scanned, links to a short music clip composed by Hans Könnecke—sufficient to give a taster of the range, mood and power of the particular instrument. All the instruments can be heard together by scanning the QR code on the book’s back cover.

I love Ole Könnecke’s quirky comical illustrations of the instrumentalists be they strumming, plucking, blowing, drawing a bow, tapping sticks or whatever. Who wouldn’t be amused by a snake playing a glockenspiel or an otter entertaining a snail by playing a concertina?

A clever combination of learning and listening: what a fun way to introduce young children to music be that in the classroom or at home.