The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (Reading Rainbow Books)

I adored this book growing up, and recently found my copy of it. It tells the story of, well, the Philharmonic getting dressed. Litterally. The story ends when the show begins. It offers some fascinating concepts of the kind that kids love: that talented individuals are real people too, who take baths and have children and pets; that a "whole" can be made up of many different parts (1 philharmonic = many different people). The illustrations are simple but witty enough to call the child's attention. It makes a perfect bedtime story, by the way, because even though the members of the Philharmonic are getting dressed, many of the rituals mirror a child's bedtime rituals: taking a bath, getting dressed in pj's, saying goodnight to family, etc.

This is a terrific book for adults and children that follows the ritual of a number of people who are getting ready in different ways to do one thing together. To make music.I love the quiet humour and the little details in the illustrations.I had a copy of the book as a child and loved to look over it and observe something so different from my own experiences of being a second grader in a small town.The book just radiated glamour to me and still does.This book is equally sophisticated and sweet.

Friday night, it's growing dark outside, and most people are on their way home from work. "And here and there, uptown and downtown and across the bridges of the city, one hundred and five people are getting dressed to go to work." Author Karla Kuskin follows the 105 members, ninety-two men and thirteen women, of the Philharmonic Orchestra as they prepare for their evening's work. Watch them bathe, powder, shave and dress, the men in their tuxedos and the women in long black dresses and skirts. See them put on their outerwear, coats, scarves, boots, hats, and gloves, pack up their cases of many shapes and sizes, say good-bye to family and friends, and head to the concert hall. At 8:25, 104 men and women are on stage with their instruments, seated, and ready to perform. Number 105, the conductor, enters, steps up on the podium, raises his baton and "the music floats and rises." "It is 8:30 on Friday night, and the one hundred and five men and women dressed completely in black and white have gone to work turning the black notes on white pages into a symphony. They are the members of the Philharmonic Orchestra, and their work is to play. Beautifully." Ms Kuskin and award winning illustrator, Marc Simont give readers a detailed, behind the scenes view of the musicians and all they do to get ready for an evening performance. The simple and straightforward text is fascinating and engaging, and complemented by Mr Simont's expressive and humorous cartoon-like artwork that brings out the personality of each and every musician. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Philharmonic Gets Dressed is a delightful little treasure all budding musicians will beg to read again and again. And as the conductor drops his baton and you turn the last page, you can almost hear the symphony begin.

My son began to show an early interest in music as a baby, and we've been delighted at the wonderful storybooks about music. This one focuses on how the musicians prepare for their evening at work. The illustrations are charming and full of the personality of each individual musician depicted. This book does a wonderful job of showing that the "show" is not the only thing, and that many hours of preparation go into getting ready for work! I highly recommend this book for children who already love music, for teachers of music who want to show that there is an opportunity for people to "play" for work, or for professional musicians who have heard, "What do you do for a living?" one too many times.

The idea for this book was a stroke of genius, and it is executed flawlessly. It's about the orchestra, or is it? They don't play a note until the last page. Your kids will learn the different instruments (and the different underwear...) The story and the illustrations are engaging, relevant, funny, poetic. When we read it aloud at my house, the room goes quiet. Everyone smiles. Thank you Karla Kuskin!