Hurricane Music - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Dowdy, middle-aged Aunt Margaret finds an old clarinet in the basement and sets off "to study the sounds of life." She has a blast mimicking what she hears at the animal hospital, the train station, and the park. She thrills to the helter-skelter city sounds of a parade, and when some heavy weather comes on the scene, she says, "'Thundering horses couldn't keep me from jamming with a hurricane.'" Unfortunately, Hurricane Gladys's gale-force winds blow away Aunt Margaret's clarinet. Sadness prevails as Uncle Seymour, the niece/storyteller, and the townspeople try to find a substitute for the lost instrument, and the niece selects a 25 cent harmonica. "'Testifying troubadors!'" Aunt Margaret exclaims squeaking out the first high notes and, as her song trills and vibrates, Hurricane Harold sweeps into town blowing Aunt Margaret's clarinet in through the door. Drawings in muted colors, surprisingly mobile in their stylization, add humor and convey the mood and action of this jazzy little story.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bottner (Bootsie Barker Bites) gives new meaning to the term "wind instrument" with this idiosyncratic outing. Aunt Margaret, a late-blooming musician, uses her clarinet to mimic sounds in the environment, from animal noises to a locomotive's chugging. When Hurricane Gladys comes inland, Margaret is thrilled: "Thundering horses couldn't keep me from jamming with a hurricane!" But the tempest upsets her tempo, and the clarinet blows away. The music dries up, until Margaret's narrating niece buys her aunt a harmonica, Hurricane Harold hits town and the prodigal clarinet returns. Bottner colors her prose by giving Margaret such pronouncements as "Gotta dance, gotta sing, gotta do my thing-a-ling" and "Sanctifying Satchmo!" There's even a hint of magic: the weather grows ominous when Margaret plays a hot riff, and calms during soothing melodies. Yalowitz's (Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch) muted, grainy hues and orderly compositions, while unconventional, restrain the action, a startling contrast to the whirlwind plot. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.