The Story Orchestra: Swan Lake: Press the note to hear Tchaikovsky's music (Volume 4) (The Story Orchestra, 4) Hardcover – Sound Book, October 1, 2019

I am a ballet teacher, and I purchased this book for a Swan Lake-themed kids' summer workshop. The children absolutely love getting to press the buttons to play the music (it's difficult for them to press hard enough through the pages while I'm holding the book, so I flip to the back where the buttons are repeated). They also love the illustrations, especially the beautiful Queen and, of course, Odette.The story is a fairly straightforward, slightly simplified version of the ballet libretto. Swan Lake is a ballet with multiple possible endings depending on which company performs it, and I was glad that this edition chose a happy ending for Odette and Siegfried, although this story adds that Odile and Rothbart are cursed to remain as a swan and an owl forever. Each page corresponds to a fairly short (8 bars or so) but good-quality audio clip of the orchestra. The musical selections were well chosen, using some of the most well-known themes of the ballet (the Act 1 Valse, the Act 2 Cygnets or "four little swans," the opening and closing theme of Act 2, etc.). I personally might have chosen Odette's variation instead of the pas de deux, but the pas de deux music conveys the emotion of the scene much more effectively. Tchaikovsky's score is so evocative, and the short sound bytes are really effective for young children. Additionally, I appreciate that the editors got around any potential confusion regarding the black swan pas de deux (different companies use one of two different pas de deux because of historical drama is worth reading about if you're interested) by instead using the piece of music after the pas de deux, when Odile and Rothbart reveal themselves. This piece of music also reinforces the main musical motif of the ballet.This would be a great book for a grown-up to read to a pre-reader or early reader. A young reader would have to know a lot of sight words to be able to read this book on their own, but the vocabulary is not terrible complex and there aren't too many words on the page.I would like to add one final note of appreciation for the illustrator. The pictures are not only beautifully drawn and vibrantly colored, but the illustrator made several characters, including Siegfried, the Queen, and Odette herself, people of color. This is a rarity in fairy tales and even more so in ballet, which has been populated predominantly by white dancers since its creation. It's a refreshing change to see many different skin tones represented in a fantasy story.The only thing I can't comment on is the battery life of the book, since it's new. I'll do what I can to preserve it. I have a small lending library in my studio so I'll see if there's a way to remove or switch off the battery until the book is checked out.I look forward to purchasing more books from this collection for my little dancers to enjoy.

This series is great for little ones. They love to press the buttons and hear the music.

The book is beautiful. The pictures are exquisite and the music comes in clear. The buttons are a little hard to depress for a small child but if an adult is reading it with them they can help

I bought all of these books, and I am leaving this same review on all of them. My two-year-old loves them! The music is very clear as long as you hold the book upright, and, to be honest, I am surprised by how clear it is even when it's laying down. The illustrations are beautiful, and there are so many things to look at on each page! For instance, in the Four Seasons book, there are easter eggs in spring, and on one page in another book, there is a tiny spider. I could talk to my toddler about one page for five minutes easily because there is so much to look at. In some of the books, there are some thoughtful illustrations to demonstrate the instruments being played. In the Carnival of Animals book, there is a bunny playing a flute, for instance, when there is music that is mostly played by flutes. Also my toddler is able to press the buttons. It is a little hard, but he manages it okay. Well worth the price tag!

The media could not be loaded. We have a little four year old who LOVES ballet and dancing. We got her this book to introduce her to the famous ballets and not only does she love it & read it often, so do my older kids--6 and 8 years old! The samples of the music are so beautiful, it's not a tinny sound at all, the story is understandable for kids, and it's just a really fun read! We can wait to get more of them!

It’s so much bigger than I thought it would be. It’s gorgeous. It has to be one of my favorite kids’ books I’ve ever purchased or seen. The attention to detail and quality is beyond your normal book. I love that it plays music from the acts and performances throughout the book. My kids love to push the music buttons while I read. The back of the book also explains each song and about Pytor Tchaikovsky.I will be buying the others for my kids and as gifts for friends and families.

The media could not be loaded. WOW! One of the most beautiful books I’ve seen! The illustrations alone are absolutely stunning! Literally glows on the page. The music is beautiful and plays crisp and clear. With information and explanations about the music and ballet in the back. Wonderfully done and will be starting a tradition of reading it every Nov/dec with family.

I adore these books and I quickly bought the entire collection. My kids love them and we read them over and over. It's important to mention that the books themselves are a bit flimsy and get destroyed easily. I want the author to know this because they are so wonderful. But anything in the hands of kids under 6 is going to get a bit roughed up and I think she should adjust the product a little bit to make it a little more able to take a beating. The sound itself is exceptionally good. It's the spine of the book and the way the pages easily separate from the center and fall out that is the issue.