WILD SYMPHONY written by Dan Brown and illustrated by Susan Batori is a picture book of fun for the eyes, the ears and the imagination of young readers. The story is told by Maestro Mouse along with twenty wild animals, all of whom are members of the wild orchestra, including a kangaroo, a hippo, an ostrich, an armadillo, a boar, an elephant, a spider, a bat, a swan and more!
With each animal there is both a rhyme that bounces merrily along and a wisdom or lesson that emanates from each poem’s circumstances. The rhyme about the many types and shapes of frogs that sing in a bog stresses the fact that they each add their own special contribution. The wisdom says no matter how different we may be wonderful music can happen when we work together.
The delightful illustrations are colorful and replete with happy faces except perhaps when the ostrich has a melt-down. A visual surprise happens when the child turns the page after Maestro Mouse taps his baton to ready the musicians. At that point a gorgeous four page gatefold of the entire orchestra with the elephant on trombone, the swan on French horn, the wild boar on tuba, the kangaroo on timpani, the cheetah on cello and the bats on bells, to name just a few, spreads colorfully forth. It is eye-popping! The drawings that decorate the end papers identify each instrument.
There is a special free app where kids can hear the music for the Wild Symphony itself and follow along---- also composed by Dan Brown.
Wild Symphony written by Dan Brown and illustrated by Susan Batori is a visual and auditory treat for youngsters 4-8 years of age (Roadale Kids/ Random House Children’s Books, 2020).
Activity Questions for Wild Symphony
After you download the free Wild Symphony app you can follow each animal as it musically moves about the story. First, listen to the cheetah creeping ever so slowly and then all of a sudden TAKING OFF! Can you hear the ostrich having a melt down? Can you hear the spider seemingly bouncing on its web? Now, try to move across the room like the cheetah, portray the way the music makes you feel when the ostrich has a meltdown and capture the movement of the spider. Listen to the music and hear how the other animals move---then become those animals and move like they do. Ask your parents to help you find an ideal and safe place for creative movement. Have fun?
Review all of the “wisdoms” that follow each poem in this book. Which ones speak to you most loudly? Why? Try writing your own wisdom for one of the poems in this book. Remember the wisdom or lesson is only one or two sentences long and it relates to what is said in the poem.
Do you play an instrument? If so, can you find that instrument on the inside of the front and back covers? If you don’t play an instrument now what would you like to play in the future? Why? Also, never forget just like the birds you have an instrument, namely, your voice----SING!
