Barbara Nichol

This is a charming and bizarre book. The historical detail is meticulous and the story is seriously told, but full of dippers: "furry, ungainly dog-like creatures with leathery wings, creatures unnerving but not dangerous, yet another fact of life to get used to." The story is told as a pseudo-memoir in a series of vignettes; not an easy narrative for younger children to follow. Despite the picture book format, it is a story for older children and adults, with insights to give into the show more unnerving but not necessarily dangerous nature of life. show less

This wonderful book about the great composer Beethoven is told through a series of letters between a little boy, Christoph, and his uncle, a music student in Salzburg. Although the correspondence is fictional, it weaves in actual biographical information about Beethoven. It tells about his childhood, his musical career, and the writing of his Ninth Symphony. The letter formatting makes the story more readable for children; many students would probably think, like Christoph, that Beethoven show more was a mad-man. But by learning more about him and his journey, Christoph begins to understand the great man. This was originally a radio play, which would be interesting for students to listen to, accompanied by some of his pieces. I think this would be a great book to use in a unit on music and famous composers. show less

I really liked this book! First, the plot was well organized, and unique. For example, the author used letters back and forth from a nephew and uncle, about Beethoven. Second, the illustrations are engaging. For example, the illustrations all reflect what is happening in the letters from Beethoven's point of view. The overall message of the book is to educate readers about Beethoven, and also living with a disability or illness.

This book is about a young boy who has the composer Beethoven living upstairs from him. He writes to his uncle about the experience. The text are letters from the boy and his uncle. As the book progresses you see the boy's attitude about Beethoven change from annoyance from Beethoven's odd behavior to compassion toward Beethoven. The illustrations are in a painterly style and are hilarious.
This book is great for music appreciation, extending a music lesson, and for examples of how to write show more a letter. show less