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Music Themed Books to Read to Your Child for Grades PreK-3

Posted 12/17/20 by April S

Music is celebrated all over the world, for good reason. After all, it has the power to feed the soul, nourish the spirit, bridge divides, and bring people together like nothing else.

In this blog post, you’ll find a variety of music-themed stories with a wide range of appeal for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary age children. Read them, share them and enjoy!

Babies / Toddlers

Barnyard Boogie!
By Tim McCanna

An enjoyable story about a troop of barnyard animals who play an array of instruments.

Music!
By Carol Thompson

The story of a small child who finds musical inspiration.

Bim Bam Boom
By Frederic Stehr

Follow a group of energetic animals as they experiment with making music with the help of household kitchen objects.

Preschool / Kindergarten

Plinka Plinka Shake Shake
By Emma Garcia

An exploration of musical instruments and the fun sounds they make.

Play This Book
By Jessica E. Young

Little readers will enjoy this interactive picture book exploring the sounds musical instruments make, prompting children to tap and turn the book to emulate playing musical instruments.

Music Class Today!
By David Weinstone

Energetic youngsters are inspired to get up and move when their teacher strums the guitar and sings, except for one shy toddler who must work up the courage before joining in.

Cover of Squeak! Rumble! Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure

Preschool – Grade 3

An imaginative picture book from the best-selling author of The Da Vinci Code featuring Maestro Mouse and his musical friends who travel through the trees and across the seas leaving surprises along the way to help solve a coded message. Bonus: Download the Wild Symphony that lends orchestral accompaniment to the story.

Because
By Mo Willems

The story follows a young girl’s journey to center stage that begins with a chance visit to the symphony.

Cover of Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
By Susan Hood

A group of children who long to play instruments are surprised by their music instructor who, with the help of a creative carpenter, manages to craft an ensemble of instruments made from recycled materials.

Grades 1 – 3

Cover of Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln
By Margarita Engle

OverDrive eBook | hoopla Audiobook | hoopla Video | hoopla Read-Along Video

A child prodigy uses music to find solace, mastering everything from folk songs to sonatas. Word of Carreno’s gifted “dancing hands” reaches far and wide leading to a personal invitation from President Lincoln to play at the White House.

Cover of Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music
By Margarita Engle

The story is set in 1920s Cuba and follows a young girl as she dreams of becoming a drummer one day. This book was inspired by the real-life story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who formed Cuba’s first all-girl dance band.

Hosea Plays On
By Kathleen M. Blasi

An uplifting story about a local Rochester musician who touched the lives of so many in his community.

Cover of Mama Mable's All-Gal Big Band Jazz Extravaganza!

Looking for more music-themed children’s books?

To find more music-themed books for children, use the Advanced Search feature in the Library catalog using a combination of subject terms like picture books, juvenile fiction, music – fiction, musicians, bands, composers, musical instruments, and songs.

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