For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart

Though this book is a biography, it may be best read like poetry: slowly and thoughtfully -- and preferably aloud. Structured like a piano sonata, this sparse but powerful story takes readers from first movement to coda, telling the much-overlooked story of a talented musician. The structure may be a bit over-the-heads of young kids, and the story a bit thin for older ones, but FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC may hit the right note for early-elementary kids, especially those beginning their own music lessons.

The elegant illustrations will be more easily accessible to a wider audience; they create a tone that sets the text solidly in the world of the 1700s, and of music. Done in fabric, paper, and oil and acrylic on canvas, full-paged paintings and text are set against a collage of tapestries to create just the right tone for the story. The portraits are softly presented in golds, browns, and blues that create the lacy and elegant world of kids in wigs and gowns. Actual musical scores decorate walls, doors, pianos, and gateways to show that music was all encompassing. Ultimately, parents and teachers may find this a valuable book to share as a biography of a little-known musician, an introduction to musical terms, or to start a discussion of women's roles. The author provides additional information about Maria and a list resource at the book's back matter.

Done in fabric, paper, and oil and acrylic on canvas, full-paged paintings and text are set against a collage of tapestries to create just the right tone for the story.  The portraits are softly presented in golds, browns, and blues that create the lacy and elegant world of kids in wigs and gowns. Actual musical scores decorate walls, doors, pianos, and gateways to show that music was all encompassing.