March 19, 2009
The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket
The Composer is Dead
by Lemony Snicket
illustrated by Carson Ellis
music composed by Nathaniel Stookey (CD included)
HarperCollins
Lemony Snicket is the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Composer is Dead is funny and teaches kids about some of the different parts in an orchestra. It teaches kids about different kinds of music and is written in the style of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
My favorite part is when the woodwind section kept on giving the inspector compliments about his jacket to distract him. Listen to the CD while you read the book because it includes parts that are not in the book.
Kids who like the Series of Unfortunate Events books will also like this one. It would also be good for kids who play in their school orchestra.
–Guest Reviewer (10 years-old), Son of SueBE
SueBE here:
When the first bass notes laid the kitten’s ears back, I thought “This is notPeter and the Wolf.” Maybe not, but it is clever for those who like the tongue-in-cheek style of Lemony Snicket.
In music class, my son has already learned about the various instruments in the orchestra and he really enjoyed picking them out as he listened to this. For me, the audiobook was immensely helpful when the inspector recites a lengthy list of dead composers — many I knew, but others were new to me and I wasn’t sure how to pronounce some of the names.
A good choice for family listening/reading, and I can think of a music teacher or two who would love a copy.
–SueBE
Bookshelf: What We're Reading 
wonker said,
March 19, 2009 at 7:37 am
Interesting blog, I’ll try and spread the word.
sjesreader said,
February 5, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I really liked the unfortunate avents when i read it and i have told many people about it. great choice for a book and i was wanting to know if you knew that there is a movie called lemony snicket and the unfortunate events?
suebe2 said,
February 6, 2010 at 3:58 am
I did know about the movie, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. We have it and, I have to admit, Count Olaf is almost too creepy to creepy! But Violet is by far my favorite character in both the books and the movie.
–SueBE