Clarinet and Trumpet - Hardcover

Ellsworth, Melanie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0358107474 ISBN 13: 9780358107477

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2021

Synopsis

A charming and funny picture book featuring the harmonious friendship between Clarinet and Trumpet. But what happens when their friendship falls flat? Featuring a music-making shaker built into the book! Perfect for fans of Stick & Stone and Spoon.

"Trumpet, you're a blast!" 
"Clarinet, you're sharp!"

Clarinet and Trumpet are friends from the very first note. But their friendship falls flat when a new woodwind - Oboe - sets the tone in the music room. Trumpet tries everything to get Clarinet's attention again, but Clarinet doesn't change her tune. The story crescendos until the woodwinds face off against the brass section in an ear-splitting musical duel. How will Clarinet and Trumpet bring the band back together again and save their melodious friendship? With pun-filled text and emotive illustrations, Clarinet and Trumpet honors the important role music plays in creating community. Shake the book, and you can join the band, too!

About this title

About the Author

Before becoming a children's book writer, Melanie Ellsworth worked as an ESOL teacher in Boston and later as a literacy specialist. She has a M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard's Graduate School of Education and now lives in Maine with her family.

Reviews

K-Gr 4-A lyrical tour de force about individuality, friendship, and community, this humorous picture book highlights such values through musical instruments, showing how even small fractures can become deep divisions. Clarinet and Trumpet are best friends and enjoy making music together until sleek Oboe enters the scene. Clarinet admires how she has two reeds and, suddenly, Trumpet is left in the dust. Trumpet tries to woo his friend back by writing a song for her, but she wants nothing to do with him. Then Trombone enters the scene and Trumpet has a new friend. The woodwinds and the brass turn on each other, quickly gathering friends who are "like them" to their sides. Watching one of the uglier sides of humanity play out amongst personified musical instruments may seem like an unrelenting and horrible metaphor but it is leavened through the frequent use of onomatopoeia-perfectly designed for the braying trombone and the raspy oboe-and the liberal use of musical wordplay as when "the fight crescendoed" or "their friendship fell flat." Bright and expressive digital art connects readers to the instruments' plights. Beyond the usual picture book set, readers of all ages will relate to the loss of friendship and how this can sometimes become an overall divisiveness within a once whole community. VERDICT A timely book that gently explores issues of similarity and difference, of holding on to one's individuality while also recognizing the importance of others, this is a first purchase for all libraries.-Rachel Zuffa, Case H.S., Racine, WIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0358107474
• ISBN 13: 9780358107477
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Herzog John
• Number of pages: 32