Carnival of the Animals

Synopsis

Discover the magical world of Carnival of the Animals in this musical reimagining of this celebrated suite for children - push the button in each breathtaking scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Camille Saint-Saëns' score.

One day, two brothers discover a magical animal kingdom behind their bookcase. They are greeted by the royal lion with his shaggy mane; ask for directions from an old lonely tortoise; take a ride on some lumbering elephants; topple a skeleton of dinosaur bones; and swim among a school of shimmering fish. If only they could take them all home...

The book includes extracts from 'The Swan', 'Aquarium', 'Fossils', and 'Finale' (From Disney's Fantasia) along with a totally new story to link the pieces together.

As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the suite's music. At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, with details about his composition of Carnival of the Animals. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.

The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano.
 
Also available from the Story Orchestra series: The Magic Flute, I Can Play (vol 1), Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Four Seasons in One Day.

Manufacturer's note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.

The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.

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Summary

Chapter 1

Carnival of the Animals by Jack Prelutsky is an entertaining and educational book about various animals that can be found in a zoo. This chapter introduces the reader to the various animals that will be featured in the book. For example, the reader is first introduced to a rhinoceros, a bald eagle, a koala bear, a chimpanzee, an elephant, a tiger, a giraffe, a hippo, and a zebra. Each animal is described in a unique way that helps to capture the reader's imagination. For example, the rhinoceros is described as a “massive, black, horned beast that moves with a slow, ponderous majesty.” After briefly describing each of the animals featured in the book, Prelutsky makes a point to stress the importance of getting to know each animal and respecting their individuality.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Carnival of the Animals focuses on the importance of taking good care of the animals, including providing them with a suitable home, enough food and water, and medical care. Prelutsky encourages readers to think about how the animals must feel when something bad happens to them – like when a child teases them or a truck passes too close and scares them. He also talks about the special connections humans can have with animals. An example of this connection can be seen in the relationship between zoo workers and the animals they care for. Zoo workers provide the animals with food, enrichment activities, and medical care, and the animals often become very trusting and affectionate in return.

Chapter 3

In Chapter 3, Prelutsky encourages readers to think about the importance of freedom for animals. He argues that animals should not be confined to small cages or kept in zoos without enough stimulation. It is argued that zoo enclosures should be as large and natural-looking as possible and that animals should be able to roam freely. He also explains the concept of conservation and encourages readers to educate themselves about the different types of animals and develop more respect for them. For example, he tells a story about a zookeeper who noticed a duck was behaving differently than the rest of the flock and, after giving the duck some extra attention, realized that it had been injured and needed medical treatment.

Chapter 4

The final chapter of Carnival of the Animals focuses on the ways people can support animal conservation programs. Examples of these programs include educational approaches, such as visiting zoos to learn about the different types of animals or creating electronics that don’t harm animals. He also discusses how people can contribute to existing conservation programs, either through donations to organizations or volunteering time. Lastly, he stresses the importance of speaking up when animals are in need and using an authoritative voice to tell people to respect the animals and their habitats. By reading this chapter, children and adults alike can understand the importance of protecting animals and their habitats.