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Press Release
The Secret Mountain, a Montreal-based publisher marking their 20th anniversary of publishing award-winning music-forward children’s books, announces a new series of picture books for kids which explore moments in classical music history.
March 1st marks the debut of the Little Stories of Great Composers series with a book-with-CD called That’s My Piano, Sir!by Ana Gerhard, illustrated by Marie Lafrance. The story is based on a real event in the life of young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Travel through time with a charming little mouse named Minim who loves cheese and music. He seems to always be bumping into musical geniuses.
Elizabeth Bird says that the newly released video for That’s My Piano, Sir! reminds her of vintage “Reading Rainbow” episodes. View her “world premiere” and comments on School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 blog, HERE. Children’s Bookwatch reviews it as “a thoroughly charming and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementaryschool, and community library music-themed picture books for young readers ages 7-9.”
Minim the intrepid mouse pops up in two more upcoming “Little Stories” titles: A Delicious Taste of Mozzarella! (featuring Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) on April 1st, and Some Creatures Have All the Luck!(featuring Antonio Vivaldi) on May 1st. All three stories are narrated by actor Colm Feore (House of Cards, The Amazing Spiderman 3, The Chronicles of Riddick).
Each colorfully illustrated 32-page hardbound book includes a CD with the story narration and two recordings by the featured composer. The Secret Mountain commissioned the chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréal to record these iconic pieces. Author Gerhard studied piano at the Mexican National Conservatory and is an internationally renowned music educator who has authored several other award-winning books for The Secret Mountain, including Listen to the Birds and Amazing Water.
Read the interview with Dr. Ana Gerhard about how these books can bring children into the world of classical music HERE.
That’s My Piano, Sir!
Travel through time following a charming little mouse called Minim who loves cheese and music. One day, he witnesses the arrival of a dapper, young Mozart and his family as they set foot on a dock one late, cold night. He is no ordinary boy, sporting a white wig and dressed in red velvet, on his way to playing several concerts in the city. To the surprise of all, he begins to play with his sister for the tired customs officer and gloomy dockworkers. The evening air comes to life, and soon, everyone’s faces are beaming, their ears ringing with music!
In addition to an illustrated story and introductory notes on the composer, this this album features recordings of the narrated story and the performance of the composition A Little Night Music (“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”).
