M Is for Music

Opening with inspiring quotes from Frank Zappa and Nietzsche, Kathleen Krull takes readers on a tuneful journey through a rich variety of music. Illustrator Stacy Innerst's watery portraits of musicians and a vast diversity of instruments (from the accordion to the zither) reflect the movement and spark inherent to great music. Despite the appealing, folk-arty illustrations, however, it is overall a puzzling book, whose target audience is entirely unclear. Ostensibly an alphabet primer, the inclusion of (B is for) Beatles, (E is for) Elvis, and (H is for) Hildegard (a German nun and "the first woman composer we know by name") seems to muddy this alphabet soup with unnecessary complexities. The glossary (which someone just learning their ABCs may have some trouble reading) defines some, but by no means all, of the scattered words floating on the page near each letter. Prokofiev, ukeke, Stomu Yamashita, zapateado and others remain unexplained, forcing many parents into an awkward position when the question, "Mommy, what does that mean?" arises, which it surely will. (Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis