Musical Picture Book
Story Ana Gerhard Illustrations Marie Lafrance Music I Musici de Montréal Narration Colm Feore
Travel through time following a charming little mouse called Minim, who happens to love cheese and music. With great courage, he braves a cold Venetian winter night to visit an orphanage. His mission is to replace the tooth fairy by leaving a little gift under the pillow of each child. Little does he know that this task is fraught with danger. A tomcat is lurking about in the building, always on the lookout for his next meal. Luckily, it’s also home to the great composer Antonio Vivaldi, whose music will prove irresistible!
In addition to an illustrated story and introductory notes on the composer, this album features recordings of the narrated story and the performances of the composition “Concerto for Winter” from The Four Seasons.
Pub Date: 2021Ages: 5 to 9 / Grades 1 to 5Keywords: Classical Music / History / Mouse / Orphanage
Author / Performers
Ana Gerhard studied as a concert pianist at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City and is a renowned music educator. In addition to writing the Little Stories of Great Composers series, she is a four-time recipient of the Parents’ Choice Award for Little Creatures, Listen to the Birds, Simply Fantastic, and Amazing Water.
I Musici de Montréal is a Canadian chamber orchestra founded in 1984 by cellist and conductor Yuli Turovsky. This permanent collective of 15 musicians has a broad repertoire that ranges from baroque to contemporary music.
Colm Feore achieved fame as one of Canada’s premiere stage actors, playing virtually all of Shakespeare’s leading men over numerous seasons of the Stratford Festival. While he continues his work on stage, he also frequently appears on television and film. He is particularly well-known for his supporting roles in notable Hollywood productions Chicago, Thor, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, House of Cards and The Umbrella Academy.
Illustrator
Marie Lafrance studied graphic arts, etching, and worked as a printmaker before going on to illustrate children’s books. Over her career she’s earned three nominations for the Governor General’s Literary Award, and she recently received the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award for A Hen for Izzy Pippik.