The Story Orchestra: The Planets
Press the note to hear Holst's music
by Jessica Courtney Tickle
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Pub Date 7 Nov 2023 | Archive Date 31 Oct 2023
Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books | Frances Lincoln Children's Books
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Description
Discover the spellbinding magic of The Planets in this musical reimagining of one of Holst’s most famous suites.Push the button on each beautiful scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Holst’s score.
This tale is about a brother and sister who adventure deep into our solar system. Our story begins one night as Helen and Tim get ready for bed in their new space rocket bunk beds… but sleep will have to wait as they magically blast up, up, up into the glittering night sky, leaving planet Earth far below them.
Helen and Tim journey here, there and everywhere through our majestic solar system. They soar past the cold rocky surface of Mars as it rises into towering peaks and plunges into deep canyons and glide through a bumpy asteroid belt made of icy rocks. They blast deeper into our solar system, exploring the dazzling stars and astounding planets along the way.
But now it really is time to head home! As the rocket speeds towards Earth, Tim and Helen watch the sun rise over their planet.
As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the score. Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sounds, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music.
At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Gustav Holst, with details about his composition of The Planets. 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.
Also available from the Story Orchestra series: Four Seasons in One Day, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Carnival of the Animals, The Magic Flute, In the Hall of the Mountain King and I Can Play (vol 1).
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.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780711289161 |
| PRICE | US$24.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 24 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1189112
I absolutely love this book and can't WAIT for the physical copy! As with all titles in this series, the illustrations are phenomenal and the amount of information about space is perfect for the target audience. Will definitely be purchasing this book when available!
Donna W, Reviewer
I read this with my six year old son who just so happens to have a brand new space bedroom. This book was fantastic for him. He's so interested in space and all the planets. As soon as we finished he wanted it read again!
Emily M, Reviewer
Oh. My. Gosh. My family LOVES the Story Orchestra series. Our favorites go back and forth between the Four Seasons and the Carnival of the Animals, but we love them all. I was so delighted to see an ARC of this forthcoming one based on music I wasn't familiar with, but subject matter that my kids are going to LOVE - the Planets. The ARC was a digital PDF and so it included the pages but of course not the embedded sound. The illustrations and narrative are beautiful and engaging like the other installments in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the real thing.
Thank you for making the ARC available so fans like me can get excited!
Audrey L, Bookseller
This was such a fun picture book! The interactive music feature will be a nice touch as well. The illustrations are beautiful and the information is perfect for children wanting to learn more about the planets!
Bookseller 993822
The Story Orchestra never disappoints, and The Planets is no different. With beautiful illustrations and an engaging narrative, this instalment is definitely going to keep readers/listeners interested.
Thank you, NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the ARC!
Michelle D, Reviewer
Tim, Helen, and their cute orange cat are excited to spend their first night in their new space-themed bedroom and rocket bunk bed. When the lights are turned off and they’re ready to fall asleep, the bed transports them into space where they visit each planet and learn some fun facts along the way. Each page includes a musical note that the reader can press for music to accompany them on their journey. The illustrations are stunning. This is a must-have for any children’s library and would make a wonderful gift.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read.
Georgia L, Reviewer
This is a fabulous little book as a Digital Advanced Reader Copy that I can only imagine what joy the physical copy will bring. I think the idea of setting music to each of the planetary descriptions is novel ,welcome, and exciting. The classical pieces encourage an appreciation of music whilst the subject matter is one tackled by every primary school aged child. I hope to see the author cover other key subjects in a similar way..
Stephanie C, Reviewer
The Story Orchestra is a magical story about two siblings who explore deep into the solar system. This was such a fun read, and the added music feature will be such a big hit with the kids. The illustrations are beautiful and very informational for anyone who is just learning about the solar system or someone who has a passion for it.
Claudia J, Reviewer
What a beautiful book! I cannot wait to buy the physical copy. My son in the spectrum loves music and loves the story and beautiful illustrations
Danielle M, Educator
The Story of Orchestra: The Planets is a beautiful addition to the series.
The eye catching double page spreads with bite sized facts are the perfect combination for the small planeteers in your life. Although the digital copy doesn't have the addition of the musical numbers, I have no doubt that the story will shine even brighter.
The notes in the back enable readers to learn about the musician, Gustav Holst. This allowed me to find the songs online.
This books will be a wonderful addition to any home or school library as well as a perfect gift for someone in your life. I will adding the physical book to my own collection.
Thank you to Quartro Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.
Allyson D, Reviewer
Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” is one of my favorite pieces of classical music, so when I saw this book listed as available to review, I was ecstatic .
Despite this being a book for children, adults will enjoy the music along with the fantastic illustrations.
The story itself is simple: Helen and Tim’s mother decorated their room in a space motif with new space rocket bunk beds. Instead of sleeping, they along with their ginger kitty, embark on an adventure through the solar system with Holst’s majestic music to accompany them.
Unfortunately, because I had a pdf copy of the book, I couldn’t listen to the music but as I am totally familiar with Holst’s work, I could play the pieces in my mind as I read the text and admired the delightful illustrations.
This book would appeal to anyone who is interested in space exploration accompanied by music and for fans, like me, of Gustav Holst.
5/5 stars
[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion which I have given here.]
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