Making Music: Six Instruments You Can Create

Children's Literature - Dr. Judy Rowen

A brief introduction to musical instruments is followed by clear instructions for constructing six instruments at home, including a balloon tom-tom, singing sitar and spoon roarer. All require simple materials easily found in your home. The illustrations are colorful and helpful. Adult supervision is required for the projects, but once finished, the kids will be entertained for hours making music!

Julie Corsaro

This striking guide to making six imaginative musical instruments is better written and illustrated than many similar how-to books. It begins with a clear, concise introduction to wood, string, and percussion instruments followed by simple directions for such projects as a balloon tom-tom and a singing sitar. Although many of the supplies are easy to find, others, like wrenches and crowbars, may be another story. The pictures accompanying the instructions are clean, distinctly lined, and set against crisp white space. In a nice contrast, the handsome full-page watercolors of children of different races (sometimes younger than the target audience) playing the finished pieces have a softer focus. All in all, a neat book.