Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments - Hardcover

Jiang, Emily

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1885008503 ISBN 13: 9781885008503

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2014

Synopsis

A collection of original poems about children learning to play traditional Chinese instruments in preparation for a performance, accompanied by factual information about each instrument.

Every musician knows that learning to play an instrument has its challenges and its rewards. There's the embarrassing first day of rehearsal, but also the joy of making friends in the orchestra. There's dealing with slippery concert dress, or simply getting swept up in the music. The twelve children in this book are just like any other musicians practicing their instruments and preparing for a concert. But what sets these music lovers apart is that they all play traditional Chinese musical instruments in a Chinese orchestra.

Including both flights of fancy and practical considerations, lively poems capture each child's musical experience with a different Chinese instrument, while sidebars provide more information about each one. Vivid illustrations depicting each fascinating instrument bring you along on this musical journey. And then you are invited to the grand finale!

About this title

About the Authors

Emily Jiang is the American-born daughter of Chinese American immigrants, and she has been writing poems and stories since she was five years old. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary’s College of California and a BA in English from Rice University. Emily is also a musician and composer. She delights in painting with words and with sounds.

April Chu began her career as an architect, but then decided to return to her true passion of illustrating and storytelling. She remembers coming home from school every day, spending hours drawing whimsical characters in her notebook, and creating outlandish stories while watching cartoons, and she hasn’t stopped drawing and creating stories since. April lives and works in Oakland, California.

Reviews

K-Gr 3—Each poem in this collection highlights a different traditional Chinese instrument and is told in the voice of a child playing it. A variety of forms is used to explore subjects, such as how the instrument sounds, how it feels to play it, and the details of practice and performance. Each spread features an illustrated poem and a sidebar with more information about the instrument, including its history and sound. Chu's pencil and digital illustrations frame the poems into a story of children from many ethnic backgrounds getting ready and performing in a recital. The focus on children practicing and performing serves as a good introduction to traditional Chinese music and makes the potentially obscure subject matter more accessible and enjoyable to a wider audience. Adults will want to have audio resources on hand, as readers will undoubtedly want to hear the featured instruments.—Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA

Edition details

• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1885008503
• ISBN 13: 9781885008503
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Chu April