Music and Dance

• Easy
• Nonfiction
• Young Readers
• Middle Readers
• Older Readers

Easy

Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont It's nap time at the farm, but one un-sleepy baby has a different plan... Baby wants to dance.

The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O'Connell A baby makes various sounds as he explores the world around him.

Geraldine, the Music Mouse by Leo Lionni After nibbling an enormous piece of parmesan cheese into the shape of a giant mouse holding a flute, Geraldine hears music for the first time.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae Gerald the giraffe is too clumsy to dance with all the other animals at the Jungle Dance, until he finds the right music.

Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson Hilda Hippo tries other, quieter, activities when her jungle friends are disturbed by her dancing, but nothing else makes her happy until Water Buffalo suggests swimming and she finds a new way to express herself.

Hip & Hop, Don't Stop! by Jef Czekaj A rabbit and a turtle defy convention when they team up to win a rap music contest in spite of their differences.

Hip Hop Dog by Chris Raschka A down-on-his-luck dog finds his place in the canine world through hip hop.

If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement.

Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler With a simple clap of hands, an itty-bitty beboppin' baby gets his whole family singing and dancing.

M Is for Music by Kathleen Krull An alphabet book introducing musical terms, from allegro to zarzuela. The language of music and the music of language harmonize in one superb symphony.

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton This raucous story about the sounds animals make -- including three pigs who say la la la! - is just right for reading aloud.

Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss When all the girls and boys in the neighborhood take up musical instruments, at first they produce awful tones, but after much practice they are able to come together as a marching band that brings brassy, classy fun.

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin Pete the cat wears his school shoes when visiting the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and more while singing his special song.

Punk Farm by Jarrett Krosoczka At the end of the day, while Farmer Joe gets ready for bed, his animals tune their instruments to perform in a big concert as a rock band called Punk Farm.

Rock 'n' Roll Mole by Carolyn Crimi Mole has a "rock-and-roll soul" and the groupies to prove it, but when his friend Pig organizes a talent show, Mole's stage fright may prevent him from performing.

Shake It up, Baby! by Karen Katz A built-in rattle encourages babies to shake their book and dance along to the playful text in the book.

Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly S. DiPucchio A delightfully chilling musical romp through the gross and gory world of campfire songs!

So You Want to Be a Rock Star by Audrey Vernick Presents advice for budding rock stars, including how to strum an air guitar, how to sneer, and how to sign autographs.

A Storm Called Katrina by Uhlberg Myron When flood waters submerge their New Orleans neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a young cornet player and his parents evacuate their home and struggle to survive and stay together.

Tanka Tanka Skunk! by Steve Webb Uses animal names to introduce rhythmic language and rhyme, as Tanka the elephant and his friend Skunk play drums to keep the beat.

This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt Presents an introduction to jazz music and nine well-known jazz musicians, set to the rhythm of the traditional song, "This Old Man." Includes brief facts about each musician.

Violet's Music by Angela Johnson From the days she banged her rattle in the crib, Violet has been looking for friends to share her love of music.

Window Music by Anastasia Suen Describes the trip taken by a train as it travels over hills, through valleys, past horses and orange trees until it arrives at the next station.

Nonfiction

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg Tells the story behind the creation of "Appalachian Spring," describing Aaron Copland's composition, Martha Graham's intense choreography and Isamu Noguchi's set design.

We Shall Overcome by Stuart Stotts Explore the roots of the song "We Shall Overcome" and the key role it played in the civil rights, labor and anti-war movements in America.

Young Readers

Dance, Annie by Dawn Friedman Annie performs a variety of dances in her recital as she blows in the wind, twirls, taps her toes, and strikes a pose.

Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems Gerald the elephant is certain that he cannot dance but his friend Piggie convinces him to try.

Flying Feet: a Story of Irish Dance by Anna Burgard Based on a true tale, two master dancers compete for the chance to teach the people of Ballyconneely, Ireland, how to dance.

Frog and Friends: Party at the Pond by Eve Bunting Frog invites Chameleon to his annual fall party despite his friends' protests, is embarrassed to learn that he is watched when he dances, and is captured by a girl who wants to turn him into a prince.

Horrid Henry Rocks by Francesca Simon Collects four stories recounting the adventures of Horrid Henry as he torments his younger brother, ruins Moody Margaret's sleepover, irritates his teacher, and tries to trick his family into seeing his favorite band.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn by Cynthia Rylant Mr. Putter's neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, decides that they should join a band, but finding the right one isn't as easy as it sounds--for them or their pets.

Silent Music: a Story of Baghdad by James Rumford As bombs and missiles fall on Baghdad in 2003, a young boy uses the art of calligraphy to distance himself from the horror of war.

Splat the Cat Sings Flat by Rob Scotton Splat the cat is very nervous when his class prepares to sing on Parents' Night.

Street Music by Harriet Ziefert Rhyming text reveals the rhythms of a city street and how they sound like music.

Middle Readers

Again, Josefina! by Valerie Tripp Nine-year-old Josefina wants to give up learning to play the piano until she sees how much joy her music gives to her baby nephew.

Bad Rap by Nancy Krulik When Katie and Suzanne learn that their favorite band, the Bayside Boys, will perform in Cherrydale, they think their biggest problem is how to get tickets, but Katie magically turns into one of the Boys and causes the band to break up.

The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog by Martha Freeman Seven-year-old Tessa and ten-year-old Cameron, daughters of the first female president--and owners of a very rambunctious dog--play detective when a baton belonging to the director of the Marine Band goes missing at the White House.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban Ten-year-old Zoe Elias, who longs to play the piano but must resign herself to learning the organ, instead, finds that her musicianship has a positive impact on her workaholic mother, her jittery father, and her school social life.

A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith A mouse with an unusual name shares his musical gift with a widowed concert pianist.

Plum Fantastic by Whoopi Goldberg Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson does not want to be a beautiful ballerina, and she does not want to leave her friends in Apple Creek. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop her ballet-crazy mother from moving them to Harlem, or from enrolling Al at the Nutcracker School of Ballet.

Serena the Salsa Fairy by Daisy Meadows Wetherbury is having a fiesta! But without Serena the Salsa Fairy's magic ribbon, all of the fun will be ruined. Rachel and Kirsty can't let that happen!

Singing Sensation by Geronimo Stilton Geronimo Stilton participates in the New Mouse City Song Festival, after his friend Champ Strongpaws enters him.

Starring Prima!: the Mouse of the Ballet by Jacqueline Mitchard In the old grand piano at the Ballet Jolie in New York City lives a ballet dancer who just happens to be a mouse, and who intends to become principal dancer in ballets for mice and humans, and the occasional dog, as well.

Older Readers

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Four Seasons by Jane Zalben Over the course of a year, thirteen-year-old Allegra Katz, a student at the demanding Julliard School and the daughter of two musicians, tries to decide whether she wants to continue to pursue a career as a concert pianist or to do something else with her life.

The Great American Mousical by Julie Edwards Presents the adventures of theatrical mice that live and work in a miniature world beneath Broadway.

How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston When popular middle schooler Kacey Simon gets glasses and braces and is rejected by her crowd, she befriends a boy who is in a punk rock band and discovers some things about friendship, relationships, and herself.

Monica and the Sweetest Song by Diana G. Gallagher Because of their boyfriends, Monica and Claudia are cheering for competing bands in the Battle of the Bands--will this competition damage their friendship?

Notes from an Accidental Band Geek by Erin Dionne French horn virtuoso Elsie Wyatt resents having to join her high school's marching band playing a melliphone, but finally finds a sense of belonging that transcends the pressure she has always felt to be as good as her father, principal french horn player in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Pay the Piper by Jane Yolen When Callie interviews the band, Brass Rat, for her school newspaper, her feelings are ambivalent, but when all the children of Northampton begin to disappear on Halloween, she knows where the dangerous search must begin.

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods Saint Louis Armstrong Beach is enjoying life in New Orleans, playing clarinet for the tourists in his spare time, accompanied by Shadow, a local stray dog. When Hurricane Katrina approaches, Saint faces unexpected challenges in trying to rescue Shadow.

Second Fiddle by Roseanne Parry Six months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, three eighth-grade girls living on an American military base with their families in Berlin try to save a Russian soldier, who has been beaten and left for dead, by smuggling him to Paris, where they are going to perform in a music competition.

The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters Spurred by a special project from her social studies teacher, seventh-grader Bethesda Fielding uncovers the secret identity of her music teacher, which leads to a most unusual concert performance and a tutoring assignment.

This is just a sample of some of the great books in our collection. Ask a librarian for more suggestions!
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