Description
Product Description
Award-winning biographer Elizabeth Rusch and two-time Caldecott Honor–recipient Marjorie Priceman team up to tell the inspiring story of the invention of the world’s most popular instrument: the piano.
Bartolomeo Cristofori coaxes just the right sounds from the musical instruments he makes. Some of his keyboards can play
piano, light and soft; others make
forte notes ring out, strong and loud, but Cristofori longs to create an instrument that can be played both soft and loud.
His talent has caught the attention of Prince Ferdinando de Medici, who wants his court to become the musical center of Italy. The prince brings Cristofori to the noisy city of Florence, where the goldsmiths’ tiny hammers whisper
tink, tink and the blacksmiths’ big sledgehammers shout
BANG, BANG! Could hammers be the key to the new instrument?
At last Cristofori gets his creation just right. It is called the pianoforte, for what it can do. All around the world, people young and old can play the most intricate music of their lives, thanks to Bartolomeo Cristofori’s marvelous creation: the piano.
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3—A well-researched, fascinating account of the father of modern-day pianos. Bartolomeo Cristofori was a talented 17th-century inventor born in Padua, Italy, who loved the light and powerful sounds of the clavichord and the harpsichord. He longed to create an instrument that married both of these kinds of notes. With the patronage of Prince Ferdinando de' Medici, Cristofori was able to spend the rest of his life tinkering away in his quest for what would eventually become the pianoforte. Rusch's energetic text is paired well with Priceman's vibrant images, rendered in gouache and ink with bold strokes. Each spread is introduced by a musical term, defined in parentheses, that not only sets up the narrative that will be showcased on those pages but also introduces readers to piano-playing techniques (e.g., forte, pianissimo, crescendo). The curly and bold font used for these headings adds to the dynamic layout of each page and illustrates the lively music that the piano inspires. Quotations from and about Cristofori are peppered throughout. In addition to a detailed time line and source notes, the thorough back matter includes author's notes on the few updates that have been made since Cristofori's pianos, where children can find his remaining instruments, a list of classical and modern music pieces that make great use of the piano, and how Rusch was able to reconstruct the inventor's life from primary and secondary sources. VERDICT A strong purchase for music lovers, budding pianists, and large biography and STEAM collections.—Shelley M. Diaz, School Library Journal
Review
"A spirited, informative tale that will resonate with musicaficionados young and old."
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PublishersWeekly, starred review
"Delightfully energetic, this will inspire young pianists."
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Kirkus, starred review
Priceman's watercolors are zesty evocations of soundunleashed...Rusch supplies an amazing treasure trove of back matter thatextends the title's interest beyond an expected picture-book audience."
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BCCB, starredreview
"Rusch's latest offering brings the [piano's] historymerrily to the center stage...Fast-paced, lively, and informative, this book willappeal to music lovers as well as a wider audience."
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Booklist
About the Author
Elizabeth Rusch is an award-winning children’s book author and magazine writer. Her books include
The Mighty Mars Rovers,
For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart, and
Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World. She teaches nonfiction and children’s literature at the Attic Institute in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at ElizabethRusch.com.
Marjorie Priceman, illustrator of many acclaimed picture books, has won Caldecott Honors for her illustrations in
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin! by Lloyd Moss and
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the Frist Hot-Air Ballo
Features
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