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Robert Levine
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Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! Hardcover – October 2, 2000

by Robert Levine (Author), Meredith Hamilton (Illustrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 269 ratings
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Eye-catching illustrations and an accompanying 70-minute CD make this an exciting and educational introduction to the world of classical music-from composers and music history to the instruments of the orchestra-for elementary age children (and parents, too!).



Illustrated in exquisite and colorful detail with over 100 original drawings and photographs, the engaging text is broken into three sections:
  • An introduction to each instrument of the orchestra from the cello to the timpani
  • The stories of famous composers from Bach to Stravinsky.
  • An explanation of different musical styles from Baroque to Modern.
Each step of the way, children can listen to actual musical examples of what they are learning about. Young readers will hear the sound of an actual violin as they study the instrument and enjoy the playful tune of a Mozart minuet as they read about the composer's precocious exploits as a child.

Join Orchestra Bob on this fun and exciting musical journey. Perfect for young students just starting to play an orchestral instrument as well as for parents and teachers looking for a simple introduction to the principles and history of classical music.
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  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    96 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 and up
  5. Lexile measure
    NC1220L
  6. Dimensions
    10.38 x 0.63 x 10.38 inches
  7. Publisher
    Black Dog & Leventhal
  8. Publication date
    October 2, 2000
  9. ISBN-10
    1579121489
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1579121488
  11. See all details
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Teachers' picks | Explore children's books by grade

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Orchestra Bob guides readers through a delightful musical journey. The book is divided into two major parts: composers from Vivaldi to Bernstein and their associated musical periods, and the instruments of the orchestra. There are interesting and sometimes humorous bits of information about the men, their music, and corresponding historical events. The last two pages introduce the conductor. Quotations, boxed definitions, and the captions that accompany the colorful photos and spot cartoon drawings enhance the instructive text. In some places, however, the drawings are in stark contrast to the photos and take away from the overall appearance of a page. An accompanying CD provides musical selections for readers to listen to at specific places in the text. These selections are short enough to keep young listeners' attention. Although some well-known figures, such as Handel, Schubert, and Strauss, are missing, this is a fun way to travel through the world of music.

Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Orchestra Bob--a dapper figure in a dove-gray tux--introduces young people first to the development and history of orchestral music and a number of famous composers and then to the instruments of the orchestra by section. Each page or two is keyed to a brief selection on an accompanying CD that illustrates the musical idea or instrument discussed. Text and images are extremely lively: the drawings are whimsical and often amusing; the photographs of the individual instruments are clear and clearly labeled. Text rarely extends for more than a paragraph or two before a box, a quote, or a related comment appears, making the pages very inviting. Children will absorb how various instruments are held and played. Levine relates the sound and sense of music in ways children will respond to easily: a quote describes the double bass as sounding like chocolate. The CD excerpts are crisply presented--one would wish to know who recorded them. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Dog & Leventhal; HAR/COM edition (October 2, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1579121489
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1579121488
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ NC1220L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.57 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.38 x 0.63 x 10.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 269 ratings

About the author

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Robert Levine

Robert Levine

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Robert Levine is an internationally-known music writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications. He is Senior Editor of ClassicsToday.com, a worldwide web-site devoted to classical music. He is the author of many of the texts in the Black Dog Opera Library, as well as The Story of the Orchestra, Maria Callas - A Musical Biography, and Weep, Shudder, Die - A Guide to Loving Opera. He lives in New York City.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
269 global ratings
Dust jacket torn
4 Stars
Dust jacket torn
Arrived with dust jacket torn over CD pocket. But book looks and functions ok without it. CD and inside book appear perfect.
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Top reviews from the United States

booklooker
5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible, inspiring resource for kids
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2011
Verified Purchase
This book is responsible for catapulting my then-5-year old's moderate interest in classical music into a wild passion. At 7, she is now fervently pursuing biographies of composers, instrumentation, opera, singing, music lessons, her own music composition - and writes stories named after composers and drawing on their lives. She listens to the cd - now one among over a dozen classical collections - regularly. The music selection is well-rounded, and the book is accessible, well-written, informative and wonderfully illustrated. If your child gets even a tiny *fraction* of what mine did out of this book, it's well-worth it!
4 people found this helpful
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Andy Beeson
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, fun introduction to orchestras for all ages!
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2017
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I bought this book for my eight-year old son to acquaint him with orchestral instruments, but have thoroughly enjoyed it myself. It presents the information in a logical, fun, easily understandable manner that will benefit a musical novice regardless of age. The illustrations are fantastic, and the CD is an indespensible complement that provides a fuller understanding of the concepts explained in the text.
9 people found this helpful
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Nash
5.0 out of 5 stars Story of the orchestra book
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
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Like this because my grandson picked this after bringing it home from school library
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Camber
4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, except for one major flaw
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2010
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This book provides a wonderful introduction to classical music and the orchestra, at a level suitable for the entire family.

Part I highlights 15 major composers from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras. Part II, which is the main part of the book, covers nearly all of the instruments in the orchestra from the string, woodwind, brass, percussion, and keyboard sections.

All of this is described with engaging narrative and effective graphics. And most importantly, the text is accompanied by an audio CD, so that you can actually hear what's being described. Considering all of this, this book is an utter bargain at this price.

So why 4 stars? Because, to the shock of my entire family, we found that there are no audio selections for a significant handful of composers and instruments. Encountering these omissions created a jarring feeling of discontinuity, like becoming absorbed in a great novel only to encounter missing chapters. I have no idea why these omissions were allowed.

The omissions aren't quite a fatal flaw, so I can still certainly recommend this book, but be prepared to fill in the gaps using other sources if you want to avoid a feeling of incompleteness.
17 people found this helpful
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Mandy F.
5.0 out of 5 stars My kids love this book
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2016
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My kids love this book. We homeschool and I have been using this as part of our music curriculum this year. The book is very nicely laid out.. This CD that goes along with it is perfect for young kids being introduced to orchestra music. It's fun and easy to use. I would highly recommend this to other homeschoolers and also to music teachers. Great addition to our library!
11 people found this helpful
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Yergs
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great introduction to different orchestral composers and their work
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015
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This is a great introduction to different orchestral composers and their work. We use it in our homeschool as an easy 20 minute lesson once a week. Each week, my daughter (age 10) and I read about a different composer and then listen to excerpts of their work on the CD and watch their pieces be played by an orchestra on Youtube. I have two younger daughters, ages 5 and 2, that also like to listen in when we play the CD and watch Youtube videos even though they have a hard time sitting still during our reading aloud about the composer. (Note: the Youtube videos are not part of this book, just added that as a note in case you want an easy way to further enrich the experience and see the instruments being played.)

This week, we learned about Igor Stravinsky and his "Rite of Spring." My daughter liked the dissonance found in the piece and we were intrigued to learn how many people in the audience hated it when it first premiered in Paris and how the theatre was in an uproar. My daughter likes to compose her own music on the keyboard and this week, I've noticed that she is experimenting with throwing some dissonance into her playing because of this lesson. :)
5 people found this helpful
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L. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes classical music accessible for young children!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2005
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A wonderful resource! After a recent visit to our symphony, my 5-year-old son wanted to know more about "the big thing with strings." With this book and CD, he has learned about the bass and so many more instruments. Two-page spreads complete with photos describe each of the main orchestral instuments and are keyed to musical selections on the CD highlighting that instrument. The combination of both seeing and hearing the instrument has fascinated my son, and he now likes to listen to the classical radio station and try to identify the instruments he hears. The CD is also lovely as background music during our day.
77 people found this helpful
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Debbie Hudson
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful home school study
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
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Used this book in a home school study. LOVED IT! It was really fun. We enjoyed the pieces of music from the artists. Now that we are done we just like to listen to the CD in the car. Also we went to see an orchestra when we were done. I would recommend it to everyone. Whether you home school or not. All kids should be introduced to orchestra. I can't even count the times that my girls have noticed the orchestra music in movies, cartoons, hearing it playing in stores.... Well worth it!
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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fg
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book but cover was torn
Reviewed in India on September 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very informative and interesting. However the jacket of cover page was torn (picture attached) and I have had to use tape to patch it up. Wish the supplier had been careful and first put it in a plastic sheet or cover before placing it haphazardly in the amazon cover. A shame that I can’t gift the book. I’ve cut one star because of that else a perfect book and value for money.
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fg
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book but cover was torn
Reviewed in India on September 15, 2020
Very informative and interesting. However the jacket of cover page was torn (picture attached) and I have had to use tape to patch it up. Wish the supplier had been careful and first put it in a plastic sheet or cover before placing it haphazardly in the amazon cover. A shame that I can’t gift the book. I’ve cut one star because of that else a perfect book and value for money.
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One person found this helpful
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cheryl cunningham
5.0 out of 5 stars A really wonderful way to introduce orchestral music to children!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2020
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This book was recommended by a friend and my 8 year old loves it. It is uncomplicated and fun in style and has him naturally understanding Baroque vs Classical and speaking about Vivaldi, Bach or Brahms and recognising their work. The accompanying CD is pivotal in the charm of this book for children.
One person found this helpful
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Ilde
5.0 out of 5 stars Molto carino
Reviewed in Italy on February 6, 2019
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Molto carino.
Libro in inglese molto carino che dedica ogni pagina ad uno strumento musicale che compone l'orchestra dando una chiara informazioni su di essa. Al libro è accompagnato un cd contenente tracce di musica classica relative ai vari strumenti e all'orchestra in generale. Consegna super precisa e l'imballaggio accurato
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Denice Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most useful and fun books belonging to a music studio
Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2017
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One of the most useful and fun books belonging to a music studio. Children love it and learn a great deal, making their next symphony visit more meaningful.
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Victoria
5.0 out of 5 stars The best gift ever
Reviewed in Canada on March 20, 2019
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The best gift ever
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