The Maestro Plays - Softcover

PreSchool-Grade 2-While a maestro can be considered a master of any art, in the field of music, the term usually reserved for a composer, teacher, or conductor. Here, he is the actual musician, playing a variety of instruments during a rather unusual concert in which the multitalented virtuoso rides animals, swings on a trapeze, and walks a tightrope while playing. Radunsky's wonderfully bizarre illustrations, created from hand-colored cut paper, are a visual delight. His two-page spreads, sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical, use a variety of bold colors and shapes. His constant change of scale keeps things lively. Radunsky does an amazing job of conveying the various emotions, from the introspective depiction of the maestro seated at the piano to his joyous marching as he "sweepingly" plays an accordian. Just as important to the success of this book is the text. Martin achieves most of his rhymes by using adverbs ending in "ly." Thus the musician plays at various times "proudly," "loudly," "dizzily" or "wildly." An infectious rhythm builds, at times lapsing into nonsense, but resulting in an almost perfect coupling of text and illustration.
George Delalis, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.