Star and the Maestro
How a Musical Bird Made Melodies with Mozart
Published on 7. November 2024
Book
Hardback
40 pages
978-0-06-267649-8 (ISBN)
Description
This narrative nonfiction picture book about Mozart and the singing starling who stole his heart is based on the true story of the famous composer and his bird. Written by noted biologist and author Thor Hanson and illustrated by acclaimed artist Matt Schu, this kid-friendly tribute to creativity, music, nature, and friendship includes fascinating back matter.
A long time ago in Vienna, Austria, a starling was for sale in a shop. Star wasn't fancy or flashy, but he had a marvelous voice and could mimic intricate songs. When a passerby recognized his own musical composition being chirped, Star found a new friend in Mozart. Mozart purchased Star and took him home to his Vienna apartments, where Star and his maestro continued to compose and make music that echoed around the world and is still played and performed today.
Star and the Maestro is based on the true story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his pet starling, Star. With a rhythmic, rhyming text and beautiful, detailed illustrations, this picture book will appeal to families, librarians, classroom teachers, and animal and music lovers of all ages. An excellent read-aloud, this entertaining and child-friendly nonfiction picture book is about the special bond between two talented musicians and the unique ways in which humans and animals interact and features extensive back matter by noted biologist Thor Hanson.
A long time ago in Vienna, Austria, a starling was for sale in a shop. Star wasn't fancy or flashy, but he had a marvelous voice and could mimic intricate songs. When a passerby recognized his own musical composition being chirped, Star found a new friend in Mozart. Mozart purchased Star and took him home to his Vienna apartments, where Star and his maestro continued to compose and make music that echoed around the world and is still played and performed today.
Star and the Maestro is based on the true story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his pet starling, Star. With a rhythmic, rhyming text and beautiful, detailed illustrations, this picture book will appeal to families, librarians, classroom teachers, and animal and music lovers of all ages. An excellent read-aloud, this entertaining and child-friendly nonfiction picture book is about the special bond between two talented musicians and the unique ways in which humans and animals interact and features extensive back matter by noted biologist Thor Hanson.
Reviews / Votes
"Mozart makes beautiful music with Star, a starling who can imitate many kinds of sounds. . . . The story is told in light rhyming verse, and whether or not readers know much about Mozart, they'll enjoy seeing the ordinary bird triumph over the more vibrant and unusual specimens at the pet store. . . . [This picture book] zeroes in on a delightful, quirky aspect of the famed composer's life." - Kirkus Reviews"Tackling music history via a bird's-eye view, Hanson spotlights the pedigreed pet fad in the Vienna of Mozart. A common starling feels out of place in a shop. . . . But the bird's skill at mimicry lands it a happy home-and a composition partner-when Mozart hears the starling repeat 17 notes from one of his own composition. . . Accentuating contrast between light and shadow in digitally rendered artwork, Schu threads the black of the starling's feathers and golden hue of its beak through each illustration, dramatically anchoring the palette" - Publishers Weekly
"Writing in verse that rattles along with the lively speed of a Mozart piano sonata, Hanson relates a true, if lightly embroidered, account of how the astonished composer heard a captive starling singing a phrase of his own music and so carried it away from a store for exotic pets back to his busy studio. . . . Notes on the historical encounter, the great composer, the common starling's powers of mimicry, and related topics close this evocatively elegant, rhythmic commemoration." - Booklist
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Preschool to Third Grade, Interest Age: From 4 to 8 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 290 mm
Width: 225 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
451 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-267649-8 (9780062676498)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Dr. Thor Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow, and an award-winning author and biologist. His books include The Triumph of Seeds, The Impenetrable Forest, Feathers, and the children's favorite Bartholomew Quill as well as Star and the Maestro, illustrated by Matt Schu. Thor Hanson's writing has earned many accolades, including the John Burroughs Medal, the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize, and two Pacific Northwest Book Awards. His many media appearances have included NPR's Fresh Air, PRI's The World and Science Friday, The Current on CBC, and Book Lust with Nancy Pearl. He lives with his wife and son on an island in the Pacific Northwest.
Matt Schu is the illustrator of Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation, My Cat Does Ballet, The Islands of Elsewhere, and Cosmic Collisions: Asteroids vs. Comet. He studied art and design at the University of Oregon and worked as a graphic designer and editorial illustrator before switching his focus to book illustration and fine art. Matt Schu lives in Portland, Oregon.
Matt Schu is the illustrator of Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation, My Cat Does Ballet, The Islands of Elsewhere, and Cosmic Collisions: Asteroids vs. Comet. He studied art and design at the University of Oregon and worked as a graphic designer and editorial illustrator before switching his focus to book illustration and fine art. Matt Schu lives in Portland, Oregon.