Librarians' Picks

Selected Reading Unearthed from the Youth Collection
Ann Arbor District Library

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BOOK A SUMMER SYMPHONY:
Picture Books, Fiction and Folktales with Musical Themes

Compiled by the Youth Services Librarians of the Ann Arbor District Library,
June, 1997

Reading Level Key		Table of Contents
E = Picture Book J = Elementary reading level Y = Middle school reading level		Picture Books Musical Themes Rhythms and Rhymes The Story behind the Songs    Fiction    Folktales

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PICTURE BOOKS

Musical Themes

Blake, Quentin. All Join In. 1991.

A wild and wacky family celebrates sound in six noisy poems.
E BLA

Brett, Jan. Berlioz the Bear. 1991.

Berlioz the bear and his fellow musicians will be late for the ball until a funny buzzing in Berlioz's double bass surprises everyone.
E BRE

Caseley, Judith. Ada Potato. 1989.

Ada uses her violin and her friends' support to overcome her fear of the big kids.
E CAS

Davol, Marguerite W. The Heart of the Wood. 1992.

From a tree that is home to a mockingbird singing so wild and free, a fiddle is fashioned to find the song in the heart of the wood.
E DAV

Griffith, Helen V. Georgia Music. 1986.

Illus. James Stevenson. A little girl and her grandfather share two very lovely but different kinds of music.
E GRI

Hurd, Thacher. Mama Don't Allow. 1985.

Miles and the Swamp Band have a wonderful time playing at the Alligator Ball until they find out what's for dinner.
E HUR

Imai, Miko. Sebastian's Trumpet. 1995.

Sebastian is frustrated when he can not play the horn he got for his birthday, but he keeps trying.
E IMA

Isadora, Rachel. Ben's Trumpet. 1979.

Ben feels the best of the Zig Zag Jazz Club as he plays his imaginary horn. A wise musician sees him and makes his dreams come true.
E ISA

Komaiko, Leah. I Like the Music. 1987.

Illus. Barbara Westman. A little girl who loves the beat of the music in the street learns to love the symphony when her grandmother takes her to a concert in the park.
E KOM

Kraus, Robert. Musical Max. 1990.

Illus. Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. Max's neighbors go crazy from his constant practicing, but when he stops, the peace and quiet are worse.
E KRA

Kuskin, Karla. The Philharmonic Gets Dressed. 1992.

Illus. Marc Simont. It is a cold Friday night and the 105 members of the Philharmonic Orchestra are getting ready to work.
E KUS

Moss, Lloyd. Zin Zin Zin! A Violin. 1995.

Illus. Marjorie Priceman. Through rhythmic verse and playful artwork, we meet the instruments that make up the orchestra.
E MOS

Rockwell, Anne F. Root-a-toot-toot. 1991.

Animal friends join a boy and his flute in a noisy parade.
E ROC

Schroeder, Alan. Carolina Shout! 1991.

Illus. Bernie Fuchs. Delia loves the music in the cries of the street vendors like the Waffle Man and the Pepper Sauce man in long-ago Charleston.
E SCH

Seeger, Pete. The Foolish Frog. 1973.

Illus. Miloslav Jagr. A silly story song of a foolish frog, a musical farmer, and a corner store full of soda crackers and soda pop.
E SEE

Shannon, George. Lizard's Song. 1981.

Illus. Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey. Poor Bear tries to learn a song created by Lizard but he doesn't succeed until he adds his own words.
E SHA

Sharmat, Marjorie. Nate the Great and the Musical Note. 1990.

Illus. Marc Simont. Nate the Great solves the mystery of the music lesson.
Reader SHA

Walter, Mildred Pitts Ty's One-Man Band. 1980.

Illus. Margot Tomes. Ty meets a man named Andro with a washboard, comb, spoons, and a pail who turns an ordinary day into a magic night filled with music.
E WAL

Wayland, April. It's Not My Turn to Look for Grandma! 1995.

Illus. George Booth. Grandma is too busy for family activities until she's invited to put together a banjo band to entertain them.
E WAY

Williams, Vera B. Music, Music for Everyone. 1984.

Rosa worries about her sick grandmother and the family's empty money jar but music saves the day. She and her friends form a band and earn money to help the family.
E WIL

Rhythms & Rhymes

Aylesworth, Jim. Old Black Fly. 1992.

Illus. Stephen Gammell. Rhyming text and illustrations follow a mischievous old black fly through the alphabet as he has a very busy day landing where he should not be.
E AYL

Bunting, Eve. Sunflower House. 1996.

Illus. Kathryn Hewitt. A young boy creates a summer playhouse by planting sun flowers and saves the seeds to make another house.
E BUN

Burton, Marilee Robin. Tail Toes Eyes Ears Nose. 1989.

Presents body parts of eight animals to the reader to guess what the whole animal looks like.
E BUR

Carlstrom, Nancy White. Baby-O. 1992.

Three generations of a West Indian family gather together on a jitney that takes them and their wares to the local market.
E CAR

Christelow, Eileen. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. 1989.

A counting book in which one by one the little monkeys jump on the bed, only to fall off and bump their heads.
E CHR

Crews, Nina. I'll Catch the Moon. 1996.

A child imagines going into outer space, catching the moon, and taking it on an around-the-world adventure.
E CRE

Dunrea, Olivier. Broody Hen. 1992.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the broody hen lays a clutch of eggs, hatches them, and out pop speckled peepers.
E DUN

Edwards, Roland. Tigers. 1992.

Illus. Judith Riches. A child imagines the activities of the tigers he can hear in the attic, in the cupboard, and on the rooftop.
E EDW

Everitt, Betsy. TV Dinner. 1994.

Instead of peas and rice, Daisy Lee eats the television, at first consuming individual programs and advertisements, and finally gulping down knobs, screen and antenna.
E EVE

Gottlieb, Dale. Where Jamaica Go? 1996.

Jamaica has fun and sees many colorful sights as she goes downtown, goes beach combing, and rides home with dad.
E GOT

Grossman, Bill. Donna O'Neeshuck was Chased by Some Cows. 1988.

Illus. Sue Truesdell. Donna O'Neeshuck cannot understand why she's being chased by cows, mooses and gooses, and a host of others until she discovers that her head pats are irresistible.
E GRO

Ho, Mingfong. Hush!: a Thai Lullaby. 1996.

Illus. Holly Meade. A lullaby which asks animals such as a lizard, monkey, and water-buffalo to be quiet and not disturb the sleeping baby.
E HO

Hoopes, Lyn. The Unbeatable Bread. 1996.

Illus. Brad Sned. The aroma of a special bread subdues the effects of harsh winter and draws people and animals to unite in a fabulous feast.
E HOO

Lear, Edward. The Quangle Wangle's Hat. 1988.

Illus. Janet Stevens. Fanciful creatures come to build their homes on the Quangle Wangle's commodious hat.
E LEA

Lillegard, Dee. Sitting in My Box. 1989.

Illus. Jon Agee. The box on which all the animals are sitting gets more and more crowded until a hungry flea comes along.
E LIL

Lowery, Linda. Twist with a Burger, Jitter with a Bug. 1994.

Illus. Pat Dypold. Illustrations and rhyming text provide a humorous look at all kinds of dancing.
E LOW

Martin, Bill. Barn Dance! 1986.

Illus. Ted Rand. Unable to sleep on the night of a full moon, a young boy follows the sound of music across the fields and finds an unusual barn dance in progress.
E MAR

Martin, Bill. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. 1989.

Illus. Lois Ehlert. An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.
E MAR

Mora, Pat. Uno, Dos, Tres = One, Two, Three. 1996.

Illus. Barbara Lavallee. Pictures depict two sisters going from shop to shop buying birthday presents for their mother. Rhyming text presents numbers from one to ten in English and Spanish.
E MOR

Nikola-Lisa, W. One Hole in the Road. 1996.

Illus. Dan Yackarino. Introduces the numbers one through ten while describing the people and machinery involved in fixing a hole in the road.
E NIK

Pomerantz, Charlotte. The Piggy in the Puddle. 1974.

Illus. James Marshall. Tongue-twisting adventures with a pig, a muddy middle, and a puddle.
E POM

Ra, Carol. Trot Trot to Boston: Play Rhymes for Baby 1987

Illus. Catherine Stock. A collection of traditional nursery rhymes with instructions for accompanying finger plays.
J 796.1 Ra

Raschka, Christopher. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. 1992.

Introduces the be bop style of the famous jazz saxophonist.
E RAS

Stevenson, James. Rolling Rose. 1992.

When no one is looking, Rose rolls out the door in her stroller and joins eighty-four babies in a parade into the country.
E STE

Van Laan, Nancy. Possum Come a-Knockin'. 1990.

Illus. George Booth. A cumulative tale in verse about a mysterious stranger interrupting a family's routine.
E VAN

Welch, Willy. Playing Right Field. 1995.

Illus. Marc Simont. Although he is always chosen last and sent to play in right field, a young boy discovers the importance of that position.
E WEL

The Story Behind the Songs

Aliki. Go Tell Aunt Rhody. 1974.

The fate of the old gray goose.
J 784.4 Go

Bangs, Edward. Steven Kellogg's Yankee Doodle. 1976.

Illus. Steven Kellogg. One of the best songs from the American Revolution.
E BAN

Child, Lydia. Over the River and Through the Woods. 1989.

Illus. Iris Van Rynbach. A well known Thanksgiving song.
E CHI

Emberley, Barbara. One Wide River to Cross. 1966.

Illus. Ed Emberley. An old folk song about the animals on Noah's ark.
E EMB

Hale, Sarah Josepha. Mary Had a Little Lamb. 1984.

Illus. Tomie dePaola. Why pets should not go to school with children.
E HAL

Ivimey, John W. The Complete Story of the Three Blind Mice. 1987.

Illus. Paul Galdone. Three small mice take a dangerous journey.
E IVI

Karas, G. Brian. I Know an Old Lady. 1994.

Why it is important to watch what you eat.
E KAR

Keats, Ezra Jack. Over in the Meadow. 1971.

A musical illustration of the numbers one through ten.
E KEA

Kennedy, Jimmy. The Teddy Bear's Picnic. 1987.

Illus. Prue Theobalds. What you'll see "if you go down to the woods today."
E KEN

Key, Francis Scott. The Star-Spangled Banner. 1973.

Illus. Peter Spier. Our national anthem in pictures.
J 784.7 St

Koontz, Robin Michal. This Old Man: The Counting Song. 1988.

Lively illustrations show "this old man" counting from one to ten.
E KOO

Kovalski, Maryann. Jingle Bells. 1988.

Grandma and the girls have an adventurous ride through Central Park.
E KOV

Kovalski, Maryann. Take Me out to the Ball Game. 1992.

Grandma and the girls enjoy an afternoon at the ball park.
E KOV

Kovalski, Maryann. The Wheels on the Bus. 1987.

Waiting for the bus was never this much fun!
E KOV

Parkinson, Kathy The Farmer in the Dell. 1988.

Farmer gets more than just a wife.
E PAR

Paterson, A.B. Waltzing Matilda. 1970.

An Australian classic.
E PAT

Pearson, Tracey Campbell. Old MacDonald Had a Farm. 1984.

The famous E-I-E-I-O story.
E PEA

Peek, Merle. Mary Wore Her Red Dress, and Henry Wore His Green Sneakers. 1985.

Illus. Desmond Digby. An adaptation of the old Texas folk song.
E PEE

Quackenbush, Robert. Skip to My Lou. 1975.

A small boy tells about his sister Lou's engagement party
E QUA

Raffi.

The Canadian singer has some of his greatest hits made into picture books:

Baby Beluga. 1990.

Illus. Ashley Wolff.
E RAF

Down by the Bay. 1987.

Illus. Nadine Bernard Westcott.
E RAF

Everything Grows. 1989.

Illus. Bruce McMillan.
E RAF

Five Little Ducks. 1989.

Illus. Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey.
E RAF

Like Me and You. 1994.

Illus. Lillian Hoban.
E RAF

Shake My Sillies Out. 1987.

Illus. David Allender.
E RAF

The Spider on the Floor. 1993.

Illus. True Kelley. Words and music by Bill Russell.
E RAF

Rounds, Glen. I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. 1990.

We must all remember to cover our mouths when we yawn.
E ROU

Simon, Paul. At the Zoo. 1991.

Illus. Valeries Michaut. A "light and tumble journey" across town to the zoo.
E SIM

Spier, Peter. London Bridge is Falling Down. 1967.

Classic children's musical game.
E SPI

Staines, Bill. All God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir. 1989.

Illus. Margot Zemach. "Some just clap their hands... or paws... or anything they've got!"
E STA

Watson, Wendy. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night. 1994.

Fox has to travel many miles to find his dinner.
E WAT

Westcott, Nadine Bernard. There's a Hole in the Bucket. 1990.

Liza's simple task turns into an all day job.
E WES

Zemach, Margot. Hush Little Baby. 1976.

Papa will buy anything if baby will just go to sleep.
E ZEM

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FICTION

Aiken, Joan. The Whispering Mountain. 1968.

After a near-legendary harp is stolen from his care, young Owen sets off on a great adventure to find it and solve the age-old mysteries connected with it.
J Fiction

Barnes, Joyce Annette. The Baby Grand, the Moon in July, & Me. 1994.

Annie's big brother buys a piano he can't afford, and the ensuing family problems become intertwined with the Apollo moon landing and Annie's dreams for the future.
J Fiction

Bellairs, John & Brad Strickland. The Doom of the Haunted Opera. 1995.

A wicked sorcerer threatens to bring back the dead by means of an enchanted opera score, and only Lewis and his friends can stop it.
Y Mystery

Bethancourt, T. Ernesto. Tune in Yesterday. 1978.

Two teenaged musicians travel back in time to New York City during World War II, where jazz is king and the boys stumble upon a German spy plot.
Y Fiction

Bond, Nancy. A String in the Harp. 1976.

An ancient harp-tuning key takes twelve-year-old Peter back to sixth century Wales, where he meets the great bard Taliesin.
Y Fiction

Brooks, Bruce. Midnight Hour Encores. 1986.

Sixteen-year-old Sib, a serious cellist, decides it's time to meet the mother who abandoned her as a baby, so she and her unconventional father set off on a journey of discovery.
Y Fiction

Byars, Betsy. The Glory Girl. 1983.

Anna Glory, the non-singer in a family of professional singers, finds hidden strengths when her family is threatened.
Y Fiction

Chaikin, Miriam. Aviva's Piano. 1986.

A piano that won't fit through the doorway, a terrorist bomb, and an ingenious solution to a problem are part of this story of life on an Israeli kibbutz.
J Fiction

Charnas, Suzy McKee. The Bronze King. 1985.

Terrible magic is at work in New York City, and Valentine joins forces with Paavo, an old street fiddler, to fight off the krakon, a monster of darkness.
Y Fiction

Chetwyn, Grace. The Chimes of Alyafaleyn. 1993.

Brought together by a near-tragic accident, two children later struggle to control the chiming spheres that maintain their world's existence.
Y Fiction

Dillon, Eilis. Children of Bach. 1992.

After Nazi soldiers take their musician parents away, three Hungarian Jewish children and their friend David must hide and decide what to do next.
Y Fiction

Disher, Gary. The Bamboo Flute. 1993.

Disobeying warnings to avoid the swagmen (tramps) crossing Australia during the depression of 1932, Paul befriends one, who helps him make a flute.
Y Fiction

Fenner, Carol. Yolonda's Genius. 1995.

Fifth-grader Yolonda sets out to prove her younger brother is a musical genius, not a slow learner.
J Fiction

Foley, Patricia. John and the Fiddler. 1990.

A young boy learns about music and friendship from an old violin-maker.
J Fiction

Greene, Carol. Hinny Winny Bunco. 1982.

Overworked and underappreciated, Hinny Winny Bunco is unhappy until an old man gives him a fiddle with near-magical properties.
J Fiction

Greenwald, Sheila. Give Us a Great Big Smile, Rosy Cole. 1981.

Uncle Ralph needs a subject for his next book and decides Rosy would be perfect if she learned to play the violin-an unwise decision.
J Fiction

Haywood, Carolyn. Eddie Makes Music. 1957.

Eddie Wilson wants to join the school orchestra, but his attempts to find an instrument have funny and unexpected results.

Hobbs, Will. Kokopelli's Flute. 1995.

After blowing into an ancient flute from the American Southwest, Tepary Jones is transformed into a packrat and finds himself fighting to save both a cliff-dweller site and his mother's life.
Y Fiction

Keillor, Garrison & J. L. Nilsson. The Sandy Bottom Orchestra. 1996.

Rachel's summer proves unexpectedly interesting when she wins a place in the community orchestra and her father becomes the conductor.
Y Fiction

Kennedy, S.A. Hey, Didi Darling. 1983.

Masquerading as boys, members of an all-girl junior high rock band become an instant success, but there are complications!
Y Fiction

Levy, Elizabeth. Something Queer in Rock 'n' Roll. 1987.

Gwen and Jill suspect foul play when their dog loses all interest in pizza and refuses to howl for their rock-and- roll contest song.
J Mystery

McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonsong. 1976.

Forbidden to pursue her dream of becoming a Harper, traditionally a man's job, Menolly runs away and finds refuge with the fire lizards who keep her planet safe.
Y Fiction

Namioka, Lensey. Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear. 1992.

Tone-deaf Yingtao comes up with a bold and funny plan to save the family recital, which he will otherwise ruin with his playing.
J Fiction

Nichol, Barbara. Beethoven Lives Upstairs. 1993.

Fictional letters between a young boy and his uncle chronicle three years of Ludwig von Beethoven's life as the temperamental genius faces deafness and increasing isolation.
J Fiction

Nix, Garth. Sabriel. 1995.

When Sabriel's sorcerer father disappears, she takes charge of the bells he used to put the undead to rest and begins searching for him and the creature who may have destroyed him.
Y Fiction

Oughton, Jerrie. Music from a Place Called Half Moon. 1995.

Drawn by his harmonica playing, Edie Jo forms a secret friendship with Cherokee Fish, an Indian boy living in her racially divided community.
Y Fiction

Paterson, Katherine. Come Sing, Jimmy Jo. 1985.

James becomes the featured singer for his family's country music group, but the difficulties of life on the road and celebrity may be more than he can handle.
Y Fiction

Paton Walsh, Jill. Matthew and the Sea Singer. 1992.

When the seal-queen steals Matthew to sing for her people, Birdy devises a desperate plan to get him back.
J Fiction

Sargent, Sarah. Watermusic. 1986.

An ancient flute awakens an eerie South American creature from suspended animation, but the music draws another strange and terrifying creature as well.
Y Fiction

Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square. 1960.

Chester, a Connecticut cricket, finds himself in New York City where his musical abilities help save the Bellini family from financial disaster.
J Fiction

Showell, Ellen Harvey. Cecelia and the Blue Mountain Boy. 1983.

The only singing and dancing girl in solemn Chester searches for a place where everyone loves to sing and dance: Blue Mountain, which people say does not exist.
J Fiction

Shreve, Susan. The Gift of the Girl Who Couldn't Hear. 1991.

Eliza's friend Lucy, deaf since birth, asks Eliza to teach her how to sing for the school's production of the musical "Annie."
Y Fiction

Sleator, William. Fingers. 1983.

A former musical prodigy claims to be playing music dictated by a ghost, but his brother-the true composer-is horrified when the pianist begins acting strange and a weird old man haunts the performances.
Y Fiction

Streatfeild, Noel. Traveling Shoes. 1962.

Child prodigy Sebastian enjoys traveling from country to country giving concerts, but his three siblings long for the stability of a real home and the opportunity to develop their own talents. (Originally published as Apple Bough.)
J Fiction

Taylor, Sydney. Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family. 1978.

Eighteen-year-old Ella begins a professional singing career, but finds herself facing difficult choices.
J Fiction

Vining, Elizabeth Janet Gray. Adam of the Road. 1942.

Traveling with his minstrel father is a great adventure for Adam until his dog is stolen and his father disappears. (Note: Author is often listed as Gray, Elizabeth Janet.)
Y Fiction

Wibberly, Leonard. Guarneri: Story of a Genius. 1974.

Orphaned Thomas Soli is apprenticed to violin-maker Guarneri del Gesu in this fictional account of the 18th century competitor to Stradivari.
Y Fiction

Wynne-Jones, Tim. The Maestro. 1995.

An abused 14-year-old boy finds refuge in the Canadian wilderness, where he meets an eccentric musical genius.
Y Fiction

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FOLKTALES

Aardema, Verna. The Riddle of the Drum: A Tale from Tizapan, Mexico.1979.

The King announces that no man may marry his daughter unless he guesses the kind of leather used in a drum made by a wizard.
J 398.2 Aa

Bruchac, Joseph. Four Ancestors: Stories, Songs and Poems from Native North America. 1996.

A collection of traditional Native American songs and tales celebrating the wonder and mystery of the natural world, arranged under the categories "Fire," "Earth," "Water," and "Air."
J 398.208 Br

Bryan, Ashley. The Dancing Granny. 1977.

Spider Ananse gets Granny started dancing so he can raid her garden, but his own trick "does him in."
J 398.2 Br

Buffett, Jimmy. The Jolly Mon. 1988.

Adventures of a fisherman who finds a magic guitar floating in the Caribbean Sea.
J 398.2 Bu

Carey, Valerie Scho. Quail Song: A Pueblo Indian Tale. 1990.

Quail outwits a persistent coyote in this retelling of a traditional Pueblo Indian tale.
J 398.2 Ca

Cech, John. Django. 1994.

An original tale from the cypress swamps of northern Florida, of a boy whose fiddle playing saves the forest animals from a hurricane's floods.
J 398.2 Ce

Cooper, Susan. The Silver Cow: a Welsh Tale. 1983.

The magic people living in a lake reward a young boy for his beautiful harp playing.
J 398.2 Co

Czernecki, Stefan. The Singing Snake. 1993.

A retelling of the Australian aboriginal tale about a snake that swallows a lark in an effort to win a singing contest.
J 398.245 Cz

Deetlefs, Rene. Tabu and the Dancing Elephants. 1995.

A young boy named Tabu is taken away by an old mama elephant while his father is sleeping, but Tabu's mother rescues him by teaching the elephants to dance.
J 398.2 De

Duff, Maggie. Dancing Turtle. 1981.

Lured into captivity when her singing is praised, a many-talented turtle charms her hungry captors and dances to freedom.
J 398.2 Du

Erdoes, Richard, editor. The Sound of Flutes and Other Indian Legends. 1976.

The title story relates how the first Siyotanka flute came to be, thanks to the cedar, the woodpecker, the wind, and one young hunter who knew how to listen.
J 398.2 Er

Grimm, Jacob. The Bremen Town Musicians. Various editions.

No longer wanted by their masters, a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster set out for Bremen to become musicians. Many editions are available.
J 398.2 Gr

Hieatt, Constance. The Minstrel Knight. 1974.

An Arthurian legend, this variation of the myth of Orpheus follows the golden-throated bard's quest for his lost love in the perilous, invisible world of Faerie.
J 398.2 Hi

Jaffe, Nina. Patakin: World Tales of Drums and Drummers. 1994.

Ten stories about the languages of drums, and the beliefs, myths and dreams of the people who play them.
J 398.27 Ja

Kirkup, James. The Magic Drum. 1973.

A story from Japanese Noh drama about a magical drum from Heaven and the extraordinary child who alone can play it.
J 398.2 Ki

Lewis, Richard. All of You Was Singing. 1991.

A lyrical account of the Aztec legend of the earth's creation and the advent of music.
J 398.2 Le

Medearis, Angela Shelf. The Singing Man: Adapted from a West African Folktale. 1994.

A couple's youngest son is forced to leave his village because he chooses music over the more practical occupations of his brothers, but years later he returns to show the wisdom of his choice.
J 398.21 Me

Nimmo, Jenny. The Witches and the Singing Mice. 1993.

A spooky retelling of a Celtic tale in which two brave cats set out to save children in a Highlands village who have been put under a sleeping spell by three witches.
J 398.21 Ni

Nygren, Tord. Fiddler and his Brothers. 1987.

Three brothers go off to seek their fortunes. The one who plays the fiddle, having the most wit and courage, comes off best.
J 398.2 Ny

Ober, Hal. How Music Came to the World: An Ancient Mexican Myth. 1994.

Retells a Mexican legend in which the Sky God and the Wind God bring music from Sun's house to the Earth.
J 398.208 Ob

O'Hare, Colette. What Do You Feed Your Donkey On? 1978.

An illustrated collection of traditional rhymes, songs and street chants from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
J 398.8 Oh

Otsuka, Yuzo. Suho and the White Horse: A Legend of Mongolia. 1969.

The parting of a boy and his horse lead to the creation of the horse-head fiddle of the Mongolian shepherds.
J 398.2 Ot

The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Various editions.

There are many versions of this tale of the Piper who frees a village of its rats. When the town council refuses to pay him, he pipes away all the children as well.
J 398.2 Ba, J 398.2 Di, J 398.2 Ro, J 398.21 Co, J 398.21 Le, J 398.21 Ma, J 821 Br

Robbins, Ruth. Taliesin and King Arthur. 1970.

A remarkable young bard amazes King Arthur and his Round Table with strange and beautiful songs and tales.
J 398.2 Ro

Rockwell, Anne. The Dancing Stars: An Iroquois Legend. 1971.

Seven Indian brothers dance so well they are tricked into dancing forever in the sky.
J 398.2 Ro

Rockwell, Anne. When the Drum Sang: An African Folktale. 1970.

A greedy Zimwe captures a young girl because of the sweetness of her songs, but her parents trick him into releasing her.
J 398.2 Ro

Rodanas, Kristina. The Eagle's Song: A Tale From the Pacific Northwest. 1995.

While trying to find his brothers, Ermine encounters an Eagle-man and his ancient mother who helps him teach the people how to overcome their isolation and experience the joy of life.
J 398.208 Ro

Sanders, Scott R. Hear the Wind Blow: American Folk Songs Retold. 1985.

The author's own versions of the stories from 20 American folk songs including Yankee Doodle, John Henry, and Sweet Betsy from Pike.
J 398.2 Sa

Serwadda, W. Moses. Songs and Stories from Uganda. 1974.

Thirteen songs with accompanying stories retold from Ugandan folklore.
J 398.2 Se

Sewall, Marcia. The Cobbler's Song: A Fable. 1982.

A poor but happy cobbler discovers that his songs are worth much more than all the gold of his unhappy rich neighbor.
J 398.2 Se

So, Meilo. The Emperor and the Nightingale. 1992.

Retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's story of the Emperor of China who is given a mechanical song bird as a gift, but later discovers that the genuine song of a real nightingale is best of all. Also available in many different editions with the call number: J 398.2 An.
J 398.21 So

Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup. 1993.

A wandering minstrel adopts a sweet-natured dragon pup, and his songs flow more easily and joyfully than ever before because he has someone to love.
J 398.21 Su

Tadjo, Veronique. Lord of the Dance: An African Retelling. 1989.

This poem tells the story of the Senufo people who live in the north of the Cote d'Ivoire.
J 398.2 Ta

Tooze, Ruth. Three Tales of Monkey: Ancient Folk Tales from the Far East. 1967.

In Cambodia, they say it was really monkeys who made our first musical instruments. The story "How Music Began" tells how it came about.
J 398.2 To

Williams, Julie Stewart. And the Birds Appeared. 1988.

Traditional legend of Maui, a boy with magical powers, who filled the Hawaiian air with the sweet music of birds for the first time.
J 398.245 Wi

Wolkstein, Diane. The Banza: A Haitian Story. 1981.

A small goat finds that the banjo given to her by a little tiger protects her from harm in an unexpected way.
J 398.2 Wo

Arrangement and original material copyright © 1997 Ann Arbor District Library. This list may be copied and distributed without requesting permission, so long as this notice remains attached and appropriate credit to the compilers is given.