Once Upon a Rhythm

Rhythm and music are all around us, from how we walk down the street to the songs of the birds. Music and a sense of beat seem to be an innate part of being human, something we respond to from the youngest age and something that has been experimented with since the earliest humans walked the earth.

This bold and colourful picture book explores the history of music, thinking about how the first instruments may have been created and how the creation of music grew and expanded into all the different forms we have today and all the different ways we have of making music – the different instruments and the different kinds of music, like classical, folk, jazz, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, and so many more.

Told in rhyme and with its own strong rhythm, this isn’t a detailed analysis or filled with facts but a light-touch introduction in poetical form that makes a great jumping-off point or source of inspiration to explore music further – perhaps even by making some yourself. The language is simple and accessible, with some nice descriptive words, and Valerio Vidali’s illustrations are distinctive and diverse, and full of recognisable cultural and historical references that also offer plenty of opportunity for discussion.