Give your littlest readers an introduction to music and how it’s created with Hello World! Music by Jill McDonald, the latest book in a charming series of board books designed to help babies and toddlers learn about the world around them.
The book focuses on instruments (versus vocal music), and introduces a good variety of well-known instruments, from drums and cymbals to guitar, violin, and trumpet. It shares the different sounds these instruments make, how they are played, and fun little facts. (For example, that some maracas are made from hollow gourds!)
The factual information is a little beyond my 8-month-old twins’ grasp, but they have loved music since they were newborns and I’d sing to them to get them to calm down. Even now, they respond to music with delight or glee, and also calm and relaxation. Just last week, I got nearly an hour of quiet, peaceful playtime out of them just by playing “Found/Tonight” by Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt on repeat. (The first time I had it playing, both of them stopped what they were doing and just stared at the speakers for the entire duration of the song. It was kind of amazing to watch!)
So while this book may have concepts a bit beyond their understanding quite yet, I’m certain that this will become a popular book as they get older and start exploring their baby-friendly musical instruments even more. They already love their baby pianos and baby maracas!
Hello World! Music is available now. Thanks to Random House for sending the review copy. Here is the full synopsis:
Every young child loves to listen to music, bang on drums, and pound the keys of a piano. Now here’s a Hello, World! board book that can teach babies and toddlers all about musical instruments and the sounds they make–with colors, shapes, sizes, and super-simple facts.
Hello, World! board books introduce first nonfiction concepts to babies and toddlers. Told in clear and easy terms with read-aloud sound words (Plink! There are 88 keys on a piano, and they each make a different sound) and featuring bright, cheerful illustrations, Hello, World! makes learning fun for young children. And each page offers helpful prompts for engaging with your child. It’s a perfect way to bring science and culture into the busy world of a toddler, where learning never stops.
Novel Novice 
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