Feel free to contact us with more titles to add to the list! 

Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and what the neighbors thought), text by Kathleen Krull, illustrations by Kathryn Hewitt, ISBN 0-15-248010-2. An excellent book for discovering curious facts about favourite composers.

M is for Music, text by Kathleen Krull, illustrations by Stacy Innerst, ISBN 0-15-201438-1. A beautifully illustrated introduction to the alphabet and musical references.

Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin, text by Lloyd Moss, illustrations by Marjorie Priceman, ISBN 0-671-88239-2. A vibrantly coloured book featuring ten instruments gathering to form duos, trios, etc. Great for counting as well as learning the instruments of the orchestra.  

Carnival of the Animals, text by John Lithgow, illustrations by Boris Kulikov 2004, includes a CD of Saint-Saens music. ISBN-0-689-867212

Books to inspire improvisation!

Books using nonsensical words or onomatopoeia can be used for improvisation with elementary and intermediate students. Explore the texts during the lesson and have the student focus on a concept and/or specific words and sounds to inspire a keyboard piece. Book suggestions from Emily Robida of Appleton, WI: