Note Who Faced the Music

Half Note doesn’t feel whole. With two beats, she isn’t as big and beautiful as Whole Note, or as quick and upbeat as Quarter Note. She worries she’ll never measure up! So when the other members of the musical staff are at rest, she picks up like a fast tempo and leaves.

But Composer and the staff can’t play anything noteworthy without Half Note. Their only hope is to convince Half Note to change her tune and come back.

This hilarious, offbeat tale of sheet music in treble will strike a chord with anyone who’s felt out of sync, ringing with reassurance that everyone has a part to play when working as a team. At the coda, readers can develop their ear with a glossary of musical terms included.

Lindsay Bonilla is the author of multiple picture books, including I Love You with All of My Hearts (Creative Editions) and Polar Bear Island (Sterling). While she doesn’t consider herself to be very musical, she has dabbled in playing keyboard, cello, and, most recently, the top two strings of an electric bass. She lives in North Canton, Ohio, with her husband and two sons.

Mark Hoffmann thinks all his talent must have gone into illustration, as his ability to carry a tune is nonexistent. Luckily, his strengths have been put to good use in many picture books, including A Penny’s Worth (Page Street Kids). Mark loves sharing playfully educational stories like this one with his son. He also works as a college professor and lives in Salem, New Hampshire.