PreS-Gr 2—Nature is music to humans and is celebrated in this lyrical picture book about Africa's sounds and the instruments used to re-create them. Hartmann produces harmony and rhythm relying on rhyming couplets to introduce native flora and fauna. The prevalence of onomatopoeia helps the verse "snap," "crackle," and "huummmm," making this an attractive selection for storytime. Rankin's watercolor illustrations envelop each page gently, seamlessly intertwining with and reinforcing the text. On one spread, "We are the herds/that gallop and run/We 'rumble' and 'boo-oom' in the African drum." On the left, brown hands thrum on a drum, while galloping hooves of bright and varying hues mimic the same pattern of human arms and sound. One can hear the "rumble" and "boo-oom" replicated in the drummer's beat. Like Lloyd Moss's Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, this is a great examination of onomatopoeia and instrumentation, but pair it with Eric Carle's I See a Song for a true sensory experience. The only minor drawback is a generalization of Africa inherent in such works. However, it's worth noting both contributors are native to the continent. VERDICT A beautiful addition to any library serving young children.—Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

In simple and magical verse, Hartmann transports readers to the beautiful landscapes of Africa with a celebration of African music and instruments and the accompanying splendid natural sounds that birthed them. Soft mixed-media illustrations with a strong emphasis on watercolors provide the backdrop for this celebration of African cultural contributions and the natural wonders that offered their inspiration. Hartmann eloquently writes, 'In the beginning, when all things began, these were the sounds which were music to man, 'reminding readers of the long history of Africa as the motherland for all human beings. Featured in the onomatopoeic orchestra are the clicking of crickets, the crackle of fire, the 'cr-i-sshh' of seedpod rattles, the 'hummmm' of honeybees, and the 'rumble' and 'boo-oom' of the hooved animals of the grassland. Birds, frogs, and zebras are found along with choruses of traditionally dressed African men and women. 'Through African nights and African days,' Hartmann emphasizes, 'THIS is the music that the orchestra plays!' With its onomatopoeia, it's a natural for participatory read-alouds, perhaps paired with Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (1995), and similar musical outings. A magical tour of the natural wonders of the African continent tied with a celebration of the cultural foundations of African people who mined these sounds to create beautiful music. (Picture book. 5-8)

Traditional lutes, drums, rattles, and reed flutes join crackling fires, thundering hooves, and the sounds of the wind in the grass, singing frogs, crickets, birds, and more that make up the natural beauty of The African Orchestra. Gentle rhymes and rhythms by Wendy Hartman build as innovative watercolors from Joan Rankin see the musicians gather as the seasons change and day turns to night, all while the wild and hallowed music of Africa plays on.